Small Group Discussion Results

Introduction

by Rodger Randle

Tulsans are ready to get to work to build a new future for our city.

This was dramatically demonstrated when they turned out in record numbers to participate in the largest civic convocation of its kind in the history of Tulsa. The Mayor’s Vision Summit brought together men and women from every corner of the city and from every imaginable kind of background and profession — but every participant came with one single objective: “Let’s get to work NOW to make Tulsa a more exciting and livable city!”

Throughout our history, Tulsans have always loved a challenge. Tulsans have never been content to just take things as they are. In ways remarkable for a city of our youth and size, Tulsans have created a community with a distinctive quality of life that has been nationally acclaimed. Different periods of Tulsa’s history have expressed this achievement in different ways, but it has been a consistent mark of our city that we have always been creating and recreating our city in order to continue to excel as a place to live, raise a family, and do business. This continuing process of renewal is clearly ready to enter a new stage of vision and accomplishment.

From the opinions of Tulsans who were present at the Mayor’s Vision Summit, a number of general observations can be made that sum up several themes that were repeated consistently in comments and observations of participants:

1. The good things about Tulsa need to be carefully preserved. 
The livability of the city should be carefully protected as we grow. The civility that marks daily life in Tulsa, the sense of community responsibility and caring among our citizens, the wholesome environment for family life …are all qualities of our city’s character that we should seek to preserve. The beauty of our trees, parks, and public venues should be maintained. The achievements of our arts and cultural institutions should be cared for and enriched.

2. Options for diversity must be dramatically increased. 
Quality of life no longer comes in “one size fits all.” Diverse choices must be offered in order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community. Although we are likely to continue to share common values and qualities of character as a city, people of different ages and tastes and lifestyles demand a range of choices in housing, entertainment, and neighborhoods far beyond what Tulsa has offered in the past. Tulsans’ expectations have changed about what their city should offer, and we have not changed to keep pace with these changed expectations. This will require us to rethink many aspects of city design. Exciting possibilities for inventing new urban dimensions await us.

3. We must think in terms of regional resources. 
We are able to move quickly from one city to another in the Tulsa metropolitan area, and the resource of any city is a resource than be accessed and enjoyed by others in the region. Each city or community can contribute in ways that reflect its own distinctive personality, style, and individuality.

Summaries

The following summary of responses was compiled and written by Michael Hughes, Michael Buchert, Wendy Thomas, and Marilyn Inhofe-Tucker. These overview observations are based on interpretations for the sake of brevity; a more in depth analysis of the responses will be made in the coming weeks. In addition — and equally as important — all responses are being released to the public for perusal, in print and via the Internet.

Morning Q&A: in the sidebars we have included questions and answers from the morning roundtable sessions. Attendees were assigned seating at 64 tables and asked to arrive at a consensus among their small group. The collective votes were cast electronically during the morning session of the summit.

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Contents

Introduction

The Mayor’s Objectives

Small Group Discussions & Questions «
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4

Glen Heimstra
The Shape of Things to Come

William Hudnut III
A Vision for Urban America

Q&A: Hudnut and Heimstra

Clayton Vaughn
You Said We Couldn’t Do It, But...

Rodger Randle
The Demographics of Today’s Tulsa

The Branding of Tulsa

Robert LaFortune
Investing in the future generations of our city

Mollie Williford
Volunteerism and the Arts

James Goodwin
Leaving No One Behind

Kathy LaFortune
Continuing the Vision

Credits