Comments on: Clean Up Your Own Yard, Before Cleaning Up The Neighborhood http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/ Musings of a Mad Man Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:28:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Derek Neighbors http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-660 Derek Neighbors Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:48:38 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-660 Cory, "So then there’s a tricky problem: if community is more about actual people than their surroundings, how effectively can you court a creative class simply by changing local surroundings through investment and whatnot?" I think the importance of changing some of the surroundings is giving the creatives already here the ability interact and build momentum. From this comes an authentic representation that there is a viable creative economy under active construction which helps keep people as well as attract outside people. It very much is a difficult chicken/egg problem. Awesome to see what you guys have done with ForeclosureGrove. Cory,

“So then there’s a tricky problem: if community is more about actual people than their surroundings, how effectively can you court a creative class simply by changing local surroundings through investment and whatnot?”

I think the importance of changing some of the surroundings is giving the creatives already here the ability interact and build momentum. From this comes an authentic representation that there is a viable creative economy under active construction which helps keep people as well as attract outside people. It very much is a difficult chicken/egg problem. Awesome to see what you guys have done with ForeclosureGrove.

]]> By: Cory Schires http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-659 Cory Schires Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:34:27 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-659 Some good points. Certainly the conventional ideas are poor - print media? sports teams? Not sure that's drawing any creatives. Still, they're a hard demographic to court. Try too hard and it seems inauthentic especially if your ideas are stale. In the spirit of the article, I wonder how you might best attract outside talent? Like you said, it's definitely about people - and relatedly about education and drive. You wanna be around other smart ambitions people. So then there's a tricky problem: if community is more about actual people than their surroundings, how effectively can you court a creative class simply by changing local surroundings through investment and whatnot? Not very, I think. Some good points. Certainly the conventional ideas are poor – print media? sports teams? Not sure that’s drawing any creatives. Still, they’re a hard demographic to court. Try too hard and it seems inauthentic especially if your ideas are stale.

In the spirit of the article, I wonder how you might best attract outside talent? Like you said, it’s definitely about people – and relatedly about education and drive. You wanna be around other smart ambitions people.

So then there’s a tricky problem: if community is more about actual people than their surroundings, how effectively can you court a creative class simply by changing local surroundings through investment and whatnot?

Not very, I think.

]]> By: Tyler Hurst http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-653 Tyler Hurst Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:28:05 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-653 We can be both. We can be both.

]]> By: Leo Godin http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-648 Leo Godin Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:07:11 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-648 Great post. Rather than demonizing those who hold differing viewpoints and passing blame, we ought to be the change we want to see. You want a technical economy and you are Working to making that happen. I want safe environments for teens and I'm working to make that happe. As we all do our part we will improve the valley for everyone. Great post. Rather than demonizing those who hold differing viewpoints and passing blame, we ought to be the change we want to see. You want a technical economy and you are Working to making that happen. I want safe environments for teens and I’m working to make that happe. As we all do our part we will improve the valley for everyone.

]]> By: Brandon Franklin http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-647 Brandon Franklin Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:45:37 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-647 So, here's what attracted *ME* to this area. I don't know how representative I am: 1) Weather 2) Gangplank 3) Refresh Phoenix, and obvious evidence of similar groups and events (Ignite, Radiate, etc. etc.) Maybe I'm easy to please, but to me, that's the stuff that I craved in a new home, and PHX has been exactly what I wanted thus far. So, here’s what attracted *ME* to this area. I don’t know how representative I am:
1) Weather
2) Gangplank
3) Refresh Phoenix, and obvious evidence of similar groups and events (Ignite, Radiate, etc. etc.)

Maybe I’m easy to please, but to me, that’s the stuff that I craved in a new home, and PHX has been exactly what I wanted thus far.

]]> By: Brandon Franklin http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-646 Brandon Franklin Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:39:01 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-646 I'm pretty concerned/disappointed by the following leading text that appears in their section on First Solar, which I think should be one of the companies we're most proud of if we expect to attract a more forward-thinking generation: "Sample, draft content to illustrate the use of this space. Feature on innovative and inspiring companies based in metro Phoenix are perfect for this section." Ugh. I’m pretty concerned/disappointed by the following leading text that appears in their section on First Solar, which I think should be one of the companies we’re most proud of if we expect to attract a more forward-thinking generation:

“Sample, draft content to illustrate the use of this space. Feature on innovative and inspiring companies based in metro Phoenix are perfect for this section.”

Ugh.

]]> By: Derek Neighbors http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-645 Derek Neighbors Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:36:47 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-645 Brandon, To be fair I think having those sports teams are a plus to our economy and our citizens. They just aren't things on the creative classes top 5 list when shopping for a city more often than not. Additionally, spending money to attract them in favor of spending money in other areas can actually be seen as a downside to many. -- Derek Brandon,

To be fair I think having those sports teams are a plus to our economy and our citizens. They just aren’t things on the creative classes top 5 list when shopping for a city more often than not. Additionally, spending money to attract them in favor of spending money in other areas can actually be seen as a downside to many.

–
Derek

]]> By: Nicholas DiBiase http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-644 Nicholas DiBiase Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:33:13 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-644 Seriously def post. On th' real, folk need to look in el mirror and build up a really strong fundamental community and economy that's strong enough to stand on its own before talking about displacing bigger burgs. Your allusion to th' primacy of educational quality is molto important. Can we grow a crop of smarties with some of th' worst public school conditions, biggest class sizes, and lowest teacher pay in th' game? Doubtful. Like Conrey said, though, one of the best things that we can do to improve is to do, you know, something. Action, enterprise, and happening are themselves pretty good at retaining creatives' interest and sparking more activity. And you're right, that ish has precisely zero to do with FBR. Seriously def post. On th’ real, folk need to look in el mirror and build up a really strong fundamental community and economy that’s strong enough to stand on its own before talking about displacing bigger burgs.

Your allusion to th’ primacy of educational quality is molto important. Can we grow a crop of smarties with some of th’ worst public school conditions, biggest class sizes, and lowest teacher pay in th’ game? Doubtful.

Like Conrey said, though, one of the best things that we can do to improve is to do, you know, something. Action, enterprise, and happening are themselves pretty good at retaining creatives’ interest and sparking more activity.

And you’re right, that ish has precisely zero to do with FBR.

]]> By: Brandon Franklin http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/clean-up-your-own-yard-before-cleaning-up-the-neighborhood/comment-page-1/#comment-643 Brandon Franklin Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:33:10 +0000 http://derekneighbors.com/?p=6115#comment-643 I agree with your views overall, but just to be fair, that "Shocking Truths" thing on the Meet Metro Phoenix website is a randomly-rotating thing. When I went to the site, my "shocking truth" was different from the sports one and I had to click "get shocked again" several times to see the one you mentioned. Not that it makes much difference...but at least there's a varied message. I agree with your views overall, but just to be fair, that “Shocking Truths” thing on the Meet Metro Phoenix website is a randomly-rotating thing. When I went to the site, my “shocking truth” was different from the sports one and I had to click “get shocked again” several times to see the one you mentioned. Not that it makes much difference…but at least there’s a varied message.

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