Phase III  

Visioning Meeting

Facilitator Volunteers � February 8, 2000

   

Our Slogan:

        A great place for wonderful people

        A great place to live

        Sun, Fun, Stay, Play (why not)

 

Our Image:

        Clean

        Uplifts and supports children and families

        The place to be�

        Identifiable as a Great Central Valley town (not like everyone else)

 

Our Reputation:

        Innovators!

        Includers

        Central Valley Leadership

        Love Bakersfield!!

        Great place to live

        People move here to retire

 

Civic Culture:

        Inclusive

        Proud

        Diverse

        Anyone that wants to participate can

 

Business Environment:

        Healthy & diverse

        Companies desire to locate here

        �Clean� industries locating here

        Many new industry clusters

        High paying

        Technology

        Business concerned with employees� health and well-being

 

Arts & Culture:

        Children & youth actively participating in art & culture events/activities

        Diverse-reflective of our population

        People travel here to enjoy our talents

        Art for all; by all; respected

        Public art abundant

 

Heart of the city:

        Vibrant!

        Tree lined streets!

        More schools

        Youth oriented

        Walkable

        Sooo�unique � featured in magazines

        Sidewalk cafes & entertainment

        Old and new work together

        Old neighborhoods are pleasing to the eye

        Less development on the automobile

        Invisible parking

        Riverfront commerce

        Good transportation to other parts of city

 

Technology:

        Technology-website based businesses

        Tech Center for Southern Calif.

        Availability

        High speed communication network to every home/business

 

Transportation:

        Big planes to big cities �non-stop�

        Electric vehicles/trams

        Street car from Baker St. to Chester

        Outlying communities with clean, easy access to hubs

        Public transportation accessible, affordable to all

        Attracting more airlines

 

Biggest Changes:

        Incredible, easy access to the right educational opportunities

        Clean, healthy air & water

        Trees with lots of foliage

        Bakersfield becomes a destination not a drive-thru

 

Break-Thrus

        High tech industry center

        We embrace diversity

        City & county work together

 

 

Looking back I�m most proud of�

        Of our successful youth!

        Of our community�s being able to work together

        Bakersfield is a wonderful, desirable place

 

 

What�s Our Vision for Our Economy over the next 10-20 years?:

        Full employment in meaningful jobs

        Diverse ag-economy with value added production (world-wide)

        Utilize knowledge � don�t discriminate by age (young or old)

        Respect for all professions � trash collection makes a big difference

        New industry clusters that bring new technology, high pay, diversity

        Jobs that pay enough to live well above the poverty level

        Well-educated workforce

 

What kind of Economic Development Incentives do we want to create?:

        Include the whole population

        Farmland conversion (zoning) � be clear where we want it and don�t

        Development zones (help it happen where it isn�t)

        Small business education plan

        Incentives for private revitalization of neighborhoods/business

        Support (financial incentives) to private businesses that contribute to public infrastructure development

 

What kind of Jobs do we want to Attract over the next 10-20 years?:

        Jobs that pay a living wage at minimum

        High tech

        Professional

        Creative!

        Value-added to agriculture � food processing

        Medical

        Research

        Year round, livable wage, high tech, Ag industry

        Real good trained plumbers, automotive repair folks

        In field of personal development � emotional, spiritual as related to organizational effectiveness

        Diverse jobs..lots of opportunity to work and grow

 

 

Our Vision for Downtown:

        More lights in trees

        Outstanding museums

        Large evening farmers market

        Street Fairs

        Unusual public sculpture & art work

        Bike lanes

        Very Colorful

        Outdoor theater

        Thriving downtown area with may private businesses

        More fountains and public squares

        Shops with display windows

        Create an entrance into downtown on Chester beginning at 58 freeway. Change off ramp from H Street to Chester

        Living space � rent and owned

        Fun! Neat place to go

        Clean attractive roads

        Combine fiscal/recreation activities

        Cool

        Unique, out of the ordinary; a place to be inspired

        Wonderful  cafes

        Safety

        All ages together & ethnic groups

        Modest signage

        Flowers everywhere

        A department store in downtown

        A grocery store

        It�s identifiably Bakersfield (like Santa Barbara is SB) � in a good way

        Separate bike and walking paths

        A clean Central Park

        Unifying aesthetics in duilding design

        River through Central Park with bike & walking lanes

        Fishing

        Water fountains

        Water theme

        No cars in the center. People watching

        Downtown electric trolley

        Easy/safe bike parking

 

 

 

 

 

Our Vision for the Riverwalk:

        Public art

        Flowers

        Window boxes

        Pedestrian malls

        Lots of trees and grass

        Some water fowl to feed and watch

        Scheduled activities

        Art Shows

        Celebrates our diversity � food, entertainment

        Development of shopping malls and restaurants

        Outdoor cafes

        Open space

        Tulip trees

        Music everywhere

        Affordable child care facility

        Carousel ( a real one)

        Farmer�s Market

        Integrated hotels, offices, shopping, housing

        Shuffle board, chess

        Outdoor stage

        Fountains

        Boat rides

        Trees

        Young/old together!

        Performing arts spaces

        Senior housing

        Street fairs

        Carnival

        Play structures

        Sand boxes

        Fenced areas

        Ease of public transportation

        Lake for non-motorized boats

        Expand the image of the river � within the community

 

 

Our Neighborhood Vision:

 

Image:

        Complete neighborhood

        Safe � NE

        Clean � no abandoned buildings � East, and everywhere

        Youth-oriented

        Mixed use- single/multi-family dwellings in a village atmosphere so each section in town develops its own character

        Walkable, bike rideable ( no more walls and cul-de-sacs)

        SE redevelop and equal part of the community

 

Specific things to do:

        Shopping mall � Stockdale/West

        Fine dining � East

        Grocery shopping SE (Vons)

        Neighborhood Park/Rec East

        Support development of basic commercial services at the neighborhood level

        Walkable communities

        SE develop housing/commercial/industrial project

 

Values:

        Mixed in economic status and ethnic/racial diversity

        Family oriented

        Safe � families on porches, block parties

        No need for juvenile detention facilities

        Trust

        SE/location/affordable land

        All people respected

 

Goals:

        Revitalize slums � NE

        Bike patrols (community policing)

        SE organize the business/property owners to get involve in leading the mvoe to develop the area

 

Biggest Changes:

        Vision of neighborhood expands beyond the walls of the subdivision

        Shopping center that is supported and prospers in the Southeast and Northeast

        SE get the whole community behind effort to develop the area, working in the business/property owners as equal partners � public/private partnership

 

Other:

        No graffiti

        Community based health centers

        Neighborhood association

        SE deal with crime/gang/drug problem for area so investment capital will come into the area

 

 

Common Themes:

        A lot of interaction with other community members

        Economic development in all parts of the community

        Make it better�

        Trend to make things more attractive

        Optimistic but superficial in some respects

        High tech

        Need more diversity

        Transportation

        Quality of life

        More people places � opportunities for interaction

        Educate people to reach financial independence and diversity

        Diverse and unique but all works together

        Plan for growth by all � building on quality, taking our future in our own hands

        Attract something big/new/better

        Having FUN..even downtown

        We like the out-of-doors: bike trails, sidewalk cafes, not inside

        Less dependence on single auto transport

        Inclusive

        Clean water

        Family

Better transit system to clue outsiders