Thursday, July 02, 2009
Preview of the new downtownorlando.com
Whats up at 8:30am Downtown?
I got to attend this morning's 8:30am (Wow) meeting at the Downtown Orlando Information Center called "Whats Up Downtown?" Speakers included folks from the library who are constructing three information towers that will be housed in the Info Center for 2 months, someone from Buy Local Orlando (who I had a brief convo with), some other people, blah blah, and then the highight: the unveiling of the new downtownorlando.com.
Site
The site does not go live until later this month, but wow. I am excited about it already just from viewing the wireframes and hearing the descriptive talk the folks from Purple Rock Scissors gave. These guys are all about SEO so this site will be THE place tourists and locals find when they search for ANYthing relating to downtown.
Hoods
One special moment for me was when they mentioned that they'd be listing neighborhoods on the site. I should make a note of this under "Trends" here on the blog. I think Hoods are going to come into reality in the next 5 years. Eventually, I want to think of Orlando not as downtown and every where else, but as pockets and hoods and places with an identity. Even if the city slaps some fake name on a hood via this Main Streets project, its a start.
Once these hoods feel they have some ownership over their personality, they will begin to differentiate themselves naturally. Yes, now every single one of them has their required "farmers market" and "art stroll" and all this bland crap. But soon the creative folks will take notice and take over for the pioneers. I give it five years.
Tra-gic
As I said earlier, I spoke with someone from Buy Local Orlando and wow, it is tragic. It being the fact that this city is 100% committed to keeping the word "local" in the name of this effort. It. Is. Wrong. And those in Orlando who have not had the chance to see these active, vibrant and REAL "Buy Local" programs in other cities as I have, and have not had the time to research them online as I have, will not know what they are missing in this fake effort. Sad for the locals, sad for local businesses.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 Comments:
8.30? Really Mark? Why did they name it this. I'm glad to see someone went to hear what they had to say.
I titled the first paragraph "Whats up at 8:30am Downtown?" but the title of the event was "Whats up Downtown?"
I do not know why they named it that name. It was a casual event so they probably didn't feel the need to brand it with some cool name.
You call the City of Orlando stepping up to help local businesses tragic? Are you anti-business, anti-Orlando, or both?
Then you go on to say: "Yes, now every single one of them has their required "farmers market" and "art stroll" and all this bland crap."
Guess they arent local enough for you either.
What a guide for "Orlando's arts and culture", HA!
The city "stepped up" by co-opting the "buy local" name from an existing national campaign and slapping it on a program that has nothing to do whatsoever with "buy local." And since Orlando does not know what "Buy Local" truly means, the citizens support it.
I wrote a piece a few weeks ago comparing Orlando's Buy Local campaign to five other cities', and it proved my point. Please go read it.
The art strolls and art walks and farmers markets are all wonderful and charming the first five times you attend them, but when you see them popping up in every newly-named neighborhood, carried out in the exact same way, as if the organizers are reading the same "How to build a community" guide book, I call that a bland trend. You can't fake a neighborhood.
Post a Comment