Ride with us: CLT Inter City Visit
Posted on 16 Jun 2009 by Rhi Bowman
photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr
Most years the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce goes on a tour, but usually it’s of other cities. For instance, last year they visited Chicago where they checked out the city’s roof top gardens and mass transit system.
In each city they tour, they try to figure out what makes those cities great, in the hope of bringing that information home to the Queen City in an effort to improve life for Charlotteans. This year — facing budget cuts like everyone else — the Chamber decided to stay home, take a good look at our blossoming urban landscape, and ask: What’s working for us? What isn’t? What can we improve?
That means the CLT Blog crew will be able to join them on their journey. And, you can too. The official Twitter hashtag is #ICV09 and you can count on us to post updates here, with pictures and video whenever possible.
So, what is the Chamber planning to do for the next three days while they tour the Q.C.?
Wednesday: They’ll kick off the tour with Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers and Wells Fargo President and CEO John Stumpf at an Uptown breakfast, right before a ride on the LYNX Line. Next, it’s off to the airport.
Gene Conti, North Carolina’s Secretary of Transportation and Keith Parker, Charlotte’s outgoing Director of Public Transit and CATS CEO, will be among the next round of speakers on — you guessed it — transportation.
After lunch at the EpiCentre, Hugh McColl will discuss the “Vision for Center City” right before a walking tour of several Uptown cultural centers.
Next, it’s on the NC Music Factory where the topic will shift to “Driving Creative Economies.” The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), of Denver, Colo., will present alongside the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute.
Thursday: The schedule of events kicks off at Johnson C. Smith University where university president, Ron Carter, and mayoral candidates Anthony Foxx and John Lassiter, among others, will speak.
The focus of the day is education, from kindergarten through college. Gov. Bev Perdue and Dr. Phil Dubois, Chancellor of UNC Charlotte, will also address the group of local business people, dignitaries and media.
The day’s events will end with dinner and a walking tour of the North Carolina Research Campus.
Friday: The NASCAR Hall of Fame and “Redevelopment of the Urban Core” are on the agenda. After lunch several speakers will discuss the many areas of Charlotte that the tour wasn’t able to cover and recap what the group learned during their Inter City Visit.
Get involved:
If you could speak to any of these decision makers, what would you ask? What would you like them to know about our fair city?
Let us know in the comment section. We’ll do our best to pass along your questions and concerns and report back.
What is the city doing invest in technology innovation?
What is the city doing to expand the diversity of our uptown economy? Specifically to decentralize finance as our backbone?
Will the city invest seriously in a festival or conference that brings people to town from across the country (and not racing)?
Please don’t trick our young men into dates only to leave them to die a week later while tied to a tree? ,