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That area of East Central had no charm or character to begin with, so how do you "gentrify" it?
Maybe I am misusing the term then. I don't agree that the area is completely lacking in charm and character, however. It retains some of the "motel, motel, motel, broken neon arabesque" (Burroughs) Route 66 flavor found elsewhere on Central. Also, the plethora of Asian restaurants (alongside Talin and similar) adds something. That doesn't apply so much, I suppose as you go further east from Louisiana.
(I live in this area, but I have to admit I don't actually live very far east of San Mateo. Some maps put me inside the war zone/international district, some maps don't.)
Going back to the OP, I have to say that I'm tired of this idea that Silicon Valley needs to be held up as some kind of gold standard that other places need to emulate. This is an old saw now that has been around for decades and I'm surprised we haven't been able to move on and think of something better. I think many of the people who are attracted to Albuquerque are precisely the ones who are not impressed with Silicon Valley and its discontents, or its self-conscious nerd/tech/hipster zombies.
You may know that Armistead Maupin, the iconic gay San Francisco author, finally decided that San Francisco wasn't San Francisco anymore (maybe because of the soulless tech and wealthy types buying everything up) and so he moved to New Mexico (actually Santa Fe, which has some of the same problems as the other SF).
If you haven't read V.B. Price's "A City at the End of the World", you should. It will give you some good perspectives on Albuquerque and the problems with its potential. V.B. PRICE | REVIEWS: A CITY AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Maybe the question is how does a city thrive, attract new jobs, keep its citizens employed but not lose its soul to the sprawl and homogeneous look of anywhere USA?
Albuquerque has a rich cultural heritage that hopefully will be protected and regarded as an asset. It is a place I have come to love and hope someday to live.
Maybe the question is how does a city thrive, attract new jobs, keep its citizens employed but not lose its soul to the sprawl and homogeneous look of anywhere USA?
I think this is the key question. Abraxas, you have to recognize that it takes some hubris to move to a city and before unpacking (not literally, of course) try to tackle -- and tell the locals -- the big things that are right and wrong about the city. You'll get some pushback for doing so regardless of the validity of your message. That said, I don't disagree with many of your prescriptions. Albuquerque would do well to market itself by emphasizing and promoting its distinct characteristics. And there is enough culture, and nature, and history in New Mexico to attract creative class people.
At the same time, it's a fair question to wonder whether economic growth and gentrification are really progress. It would be great if Albuquerque had jobs for everyone who wanted them and less crime and great schools. In particular, I agree with your point about the importance of quelling the brain drain of university graduates from the state. But I think that people fear that with gentrification and growth comes displacing and whitewashing much of the culture and history of New Mexico that makes it a unique and attractive place. Given the economic troubles of the state, I err on the side of growth. But it's a careful balance to be struck. And as the US becomes more and homogenized, the value of remaining unique and distinct grows greater. So bizarrely, New Mexico's failures to adapt, grow, and mimic successful states may ultimately prove attractive.
I'm not sure why some folks seem to think I suggested changing Albuquerque culture at all, much less to be more like Silicon Valley. My suggestion was precisely the opposite. I'm guessing those folks didn't read the New York Times article I linked in the first sentence of this thread. What caught my attention about the article was that it suggested that to attract the best jobs, a city does NOT have to make itself like Silicon Valley. If it already has a strong research university, it can instead can focus on just being a desirable place to live using its own natural authentic assets.
In the case of Albuquerque, it already has a strong research university and is already a uniquely wonderful place to live, but unfortunately, there seem to be a number of misperceptions about Albuquerque that are reflected on a weekly basis on this forum, particularly regarding crime. As a result, cities in surrounding states are stealing a portion of what would otherwise be our share of highly skilled relocating professionals/job-creators. I believe that if more advanced-skills/job-creating folks knew how great Albuquerque culture *already is today,* they would be more likely to consider relocating here. Like many of you I suspect, I keep wishing I had had the opportunity to show some of the Tesla folks around myself.
I officially retract the suggestion regarding outreach to gay families. I'm assuming that's the part that felt like I was suggesting changing the culture in some foreign way, but here again, I was pointing out what I believe is a broader benefit if people knew how great Albuquerque already is today in that regard.
If my suggestion for streetscape and safety improvements along Central Avenue east of San Mateo Blvd. is controversial, I'm wondering if I stepped onto the set of Parks and Recreation during a town hall meeting scene.
I post here a lot and sometimes unintentionally come across as pretentious, so I'm actually hoping that some of these reactions are more about people being irritated with me personally for whatever reason and less about not wanting to hear ideas from newcomers who love Albuquerque and want to help it thrive.
Unless you are so concerned about possible cultural change that you are ambivalent or even against attracting relocating professionals to Albuquerque, you probably don't really want to silence feedback from members of the target demographic who have actually and recently experienced relocating to Albuquerque.
I officially retract the suggestion regarding outreach to gay families. I'm assuming that's the part that felt like I was suggesting changing the culture, but here again, I was pointing out what I believe is a broader benefit if people knew how great Albuquerque already is today in that regard.
I honestly don't think that was the part of your suggestion that caused consternation. Frankly, many people in the area are afraid of change and are wary of newcomers with suggestions, no matter what the suggestions are.
If things are framed as quality of life improvements rather than as a means to some other end that might go down a little better. It should be improvements for the people who are there, no for the people you might attract. Improvements should cover as wide an area as possible to allay fears of 'gentrification' and the like. You can't gentrify everywhere, right? Any economic development needs to be inclusive.
Then there are the folks that will complain and oppose anything until after its built and turns out well then they'll act like it was their idea from the beginning.
In the case of Albuquerque, it already has a strong research university and is already a uniquely wonderful place to live, but unfortunately, there seem to be a number of misperceptions about Albuquerque that are reflected on a weekly basis on this forum, particularly regarding crime. As a result, cities in surrounding states are stealing a portion of what would otherwise be our share of highly skilled relocating professionals/job-creators. I believe that if more advanced-skills/job-creating folks knew how great Albuquerque culture *already is today,* they would be more likely to consider relocating here. Like many of you I suspect, I keep wishing I had had the opportunity to show some of the Tesla folks around myself.
I don't think fear of crime or an inability to appreciate Albuquerque's culture is what's deterring professionals from moving to the city. The number one obstacle by far -- for both attracting professionals and retaining professionals -- is the job market/economy. There aren't many jobs in Albuquerque, and those jobs there are don't pay much. Many professionals, even those with family and other ties to New Mexico, leave because they will have an easier time finding a job that pays twice as much in Denver, or Texas, or California. And even if one can find a job in Albuquerque and one is okay with the salary, there's often not a good opportunity for career advancement or to do cutting-edge work in one's field. Those are the problems to fix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abraxas
I officially retract the suggestion regarding outreach to gay families. I'm assuming that's the part that felt like I was suggesting changing the culture in some foreign way, but here again, I was pointing out what I believe is a broader benefit if people knew how great Albuquerque already is today in that regard.
I don't think people had a problem with your suggestion regarding outreach to gay families. I think it's a good idea and many would be happy if the city did so. I think people are skeptical of proposals to gentrify the war zone/international district. It probably wouldn't work and even if it did, you're just displacing the people who live there now somewhere else. Better to try to reduce poverty and crime and improve social services and let poor neighborhoods improve organically. I also don't think that Central between San Mateo and Tramway is so blighted that it scares off prospective students at UNM or other visitors, such that beautification is necessary.
The number one obstacle by far -- for both attracting professionals and retaining professionals -- is the job market/economy.
That's the unexpected point of the New York Times article at the top of the thread. It says that if a city already has a solid research university, you can improve the job market/economy by enhancing the things that make people want to move there or remain there after graduation.
I agree that it is somewhat counterintuitive. That's why it struck me as significant and worth discussing.
Last edited by Abraxas; 03-10-2015 at 07:00 PM..
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