ann arbor is overrated. » Blog Archive » This One Time At Cool City Camp…

This One Time At Cool City Camp…

The turnout at the Cool Cities meeting tonight (Tuesday night) was impressive, and many ideas were shared. With participants that fell well outside the 20-35-year-old demographic the governor is trying to attract, including a landlord and at least one couch-porch-ban supporter, it was a diverse crowd. But it wasn’t hard to come away discouraged. Sometimes, agreeing on certain core ideas, without falling into monolithic groupthink, is necessary to make progress. Monolitihic groupthink was not a problem tonight.

The thing that struck us was a sense of defeat. Concentrating on dense development outside of downtown is not itself a bad idea, but the suggested reason for doing so was to avoid having to fight the entrenched NIMBYism of places like the Old Fourth Ward. The idea of giving up on downtown completely, and instead starting from scratch and developing new cool neighborhoods in places like Lower Town, was popular.

The Cool Cities task force members are enthusiastic and hard-working, and they seem to have a real shot at making some good changes. But when one of the suggestions is harnessing the cool power of undergrads who were in their high school orchestras, you know it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Brandon wrote a better post about this.

42 Responses to “This One Time At Cool City Camp…”

John Heitje was all smiles about the Cool Cities thing when he was introducing the film fest. I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it.
js
posted by js on March 17th, 2004 at 8:17 am
Why *did* they invite the Mayor to the film fest last night? The reception he got was cool at best - and with them showing What You Destroy (a great short documentary on the razing of the Tech Center) I wondered if they had invited him there so that he would see that, or just to mock him.

There were many vocal audience comments during the film - including one asking the Mayor if he was listening.
posted by Laura on March 17th, 2004 at 11:36 am
I think the mayor got more than he expected at the Cool Cities meeting, too. There were several comments that seemed very much aimed for his ears, from pro-density and pro-affordable housing calls to Brandon’s declaration that “Whole Foods is not cool. The Fleetwood and Wazoo are cool.” (which seemed to me to be well-supported by the audience.)

AAIO is much less rambunctious in person than I had expected. Could just be that I got there late and they had already been beaten down by the couch ban supporters?
posted by Murph on March 17th, 2004 at 11:41 am
“…entrenched NIMBYism…”

NIMBYism is everywhere, but it’s really something in Ann Arbor, isn’t it? There are way too many ivory-tower types here who think it’s perfectly reasonable for *someone else* to implement their brilliant strategies. “Leave me alone and go back to the engine room. I’M steering.”
posted by Kevin on March 17th, 2004 at 12:03 pm
Kevin, it’s not ivory tower aloofness that’s hindering progress. Check out how many events, letters to the editor, organizations, talks, etc have Matt Lassiter, Dick Norton, or Doug Kelbaugh’s backing. Look at Planning Professor Slash Parks Commission Member Phil Danieri. If I knew any SNRE faculty, I bet I could point to some involvement on their part as well.

Yesterday (not at the meeting, but earlier) Danieri told a class of planning students that, (paraphrased) “The primary characteristic of Ann Arbor is not that it’s a college town, or that it’s progressive, or anything like that. It’s that people here have a lot of money, and they act like people with money act anywhere.” You want to point fingers for the NIMBYism? Don’t look at the academics, look at the people who vote whichever way will most increase their property values.
posted by Murph on March 17th, 2004 at 12:17 pm
No offense, but people without money generally act in their own financial self interest also. It’s just not always so transparent. For instance, I may value a bar in which I can see music I enjoy, and part of the reason I want that bar nearby is to save myself the time and money spent going elsewhere, not to mention the potential DUI.
posted by David on March 17th, 2004 at 12:45 pm
So, hey, speaking of cool, I’m sitting on the shitter in the swanky new john on the first floor of Mason Hall yesterday, and I’m reading the Science page of the New York Times, which I grabbed in the fishbowl on the way in, and there on page one–in color–is this psychologist chick standing in front of this building that looks really familiar, and then I realized why it looks familiar. Check it out, it was fucking MASON HALL! So, probably, if you’re from New York or, like, Brooklyn, you’re probably totally used to the experience of finding a picture of the building you’re shitting in the Times, but for a small town boy like me it was a little surreal.
posted by Scatologician on March 17th, 2004 at 3:46 pm
That was one of the coll things about living in New York - reading books and seeing movies that were set in your neighborhood. (Not really coll, like Whole GFoods, but almost as good.) BTW, I was charmed by the fact that the end of American Pie was filmed as MSU, and was upset to learn that they refused to allow one of the sequels to be filmed there because it involved college students having sex. This seems uncool to me, but what do I know.
posted by Lucky Jackson on March 17th, 2004 at 4:13 pm
AAIO is much less rambunctious in person than I had expected

Yes…I was beaten down by the couch porch ban supporters, but also, I was a little out of it because I wasn’t sure whether to be Anna or Boris or one of my other personalities.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on March 17th, 2004 at 5:57 pm
College students have sex? Pshaw! Next you’ll be telling me they drink the alcohol.
posted by Sara on March 17th, 2004 at 8:49 pm
Thanks for meeting report. I was home doing n assignment due today. Now, what are the long-range goals of this cool-cities venture? I tried accessing the site to find out but there’s just an outdated link to the survey. They’re amassing all this data…what is this all leading to? any mention of Lansing-level meetings on this at the Tues meeting? Any conclusiions coalescing as to what does make cool cities?
posted by Laura on March 17th, 2004 at 9:43 pm
Cool cities are made by not being in Michigan, Ohio, or Indiana.
posted by Glory unto Shiva on March 18th, 2004 at 8:40 am
Don’t forget Iowa.
posted by Shiva Can Suck Me on March 18th, 2004 at 9:25 am
Laura, from what I have gathered the Cool Cities task force itself is pretty darn clueful. I know Rob, Conan, and Brandt at the least have decent awareness of the difference between the kind of cool we want to see versus the kind of cool that involves Starbucks and luxury condos (a.k.a. the “un” kind of cool).

The problem lies in the fact that they don’t seem to really matter. They’re this little side project that has a 10% chance of actually being listened to, and then only if they praise the stuff the city is doing anyways. They have no official clout.

Rob/Conan/Brandt all seemed astounded at the turnout, though, in a very happy way, and seemed happy to have the Mayor see how many people came out and what they had to say. Maybe the event will give them an extra 6% chance of being listened to. Only 84% more uphill battling to go!
posted by Murph on March 18th, 2004 at 11:38 am
Yeah, I also was hoping to make the meeting, but got my ass kicked by deadlines this week. Having seen Pittsburgh going through its various “Renaissances” and watched Orange Co’s efforts to create immaculate New Urbanist planned cities, I’m curious how MI’s cool cities thing is supposed to work and where it might go.

I suppose the big question is where the money for Cool Cities comes from - that is, do the focus groups etc. lead to proposals for things that the state or city can fund as development grants, or are they supposed to lead to partnerships with the private sector whereby moneyed interests actually make our new “cool” amenities happen? Seems like you might get a very different set of “cool” things depending on the answer to that question. If Cool Cities is supposed to be publicly supported, you might actually see some cool stuff happen - I’m thinking of Santa Ana’s (the SoCal city, not the Mexican general) decision to buy up all its blighted downtown buildings and give them away to artist groups and arts colleges to turn into studio and performance space, resulting in a fascinating little district of theaters, exhibit space, and cafes surrounded by incredible ethnic restaurants. Of course, I’m also thinking of Pittsburgh’s decision to use taxpayer money to build 2 sports stadiums, which has benefited no one (i.e., no better attendance for the teams, no improvements in the surrounding neighborhood) and pushed the city to the brink of bankruptcy.

The point I guess being that all of us need to do our best to get to meetings like this. I think most people on this site would agree that turning AA into a sterile, ersatz environment like the Balto Inner Harbor or San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter isn’t quite what we have in mind when we think of a cool city. But if the ingredients of a cool place aren’t going to make somebody wealthier in an obvious way, then obviously those with money have less incentive to get behind it, and you have to get creative if you still want to see it.

Excuse my random logic this morning.
posted by Nick on March 18th, 2004 at 11:52 am
Regarding the AAFF comments.

The mayor of A2 has been invited to the festival since it moved to the Michigan.

Hieftje, being the opportunist and egomaniac that he is could not resist the pull of the stage and the microphone.

He sounded stoned and rambled on about how important the arts are to A2 and how he felt that even though the Tech Center was a loss of affordable studio space for local artists, getting it demolished was safer for everyone (I don’t disagree).

What he failed to include was his complicity in the decisions made to allow Oates and his Storm Troopers to practice their rusty SWAT skills on those dangerous artists and crafts people. Heiftje failed miserably to address the concerns of those who have very little political power. What do you expect from someone with a tin ear for public concers that wouold not support his political agenda?

For the record, there were “comments” made from the audience to hizzoner, but the only audible “BOOOO” that was heard was from MUCHO GUSTO hisself.

What struck mucho as strange was that for all the artsy inclinations of those present to see the Tech Center film and show support for the arts, THEY ALL LEFT AFTER THE FILM WAS FINI!!! Now, what kind of support is that for one of the few really alternative and truly creative arts events left in Ann Arbor? Those who purport to support the arts should put their efforts (and money) where their whiny little mouths are!

Talk about arts hypocrisy and yet another reason why Ann Arbor is overrated
posted by mucho gusto (!!!) on March 18th, 2004 at 1:01 pm
As someone who was very involved with the tech center before it was destoryed, I’ld like to add this; There is plenty of affordable spaces in the ann arbor area, while the tech center was a pretty good deal per square foot, it wasn’t THAT cheap.

Another thing is that many of the people who were involved there looked for new spaces, and there was lots of affordable spaces, just none near downtown. I had a friend gathering folks for a new space to rent in the weeks/months before the everyone was kicked out. First he found a number of nice spots that were very close to the Tech Center in Rent price, and I can think of 4 good spots to rent right now! Second one of the big problems post Tech Center was that no one had a big chunk of cash to rent out a space. One group was tyring to rent a space as a group but just couldn’t pull it together.

For every person that was working out of the tech center and was productive, there were
many more who were causing trouble. It was really the landlords fault, they did things like rent a room to Johny Beck, the worst and most destructive person to be in the building.

The building was also a total fire hazard and code violation. I a guy who did electric work in there and he could go on for days with all the code violations. He was working electric when some guys were putting in new wall and they were put up WAY illegal.

I wasn’t there the day the police came in like Nazi’s, but let me say this, it was no suprise. They had come in cause some dumb kid pulled a knife on someone outside the building. They were local residents and that was the straw that broke the camels back. The city then came in and kicked everyone out of the ‘back’ or ‘warehouse’ part of the building. The reason it was that part of the building was cause there was a punk ‘nest’ there, lots of kids from the ann arbor punk week staying outa there and causing problems, living out their cars in the parking lot with dogs and stuff. Look, none of them bugged me, but thats the problems, there was no rules or managment of the place, and thats why things were like they were.

I haven’t seen the film yet, but hope to soon, even if I have to buy it. I think that JS made some comments on it in his blog and that if I actually saw it I would have plenty to make myself.

OK- this is a damn novel now, but one more story.
After the cops came in in nazi style and kicked everyone out the back end of the building, the 555 guys were temporarily ‘out’ of their space, they ended up getting it back because the city didn’t mind them doing their thing their, otherwise they could easily have been given the boot. But I was listening to one of the 555 guys complaining about how much they had worked to build up the space and make it nice, and now they were getting kicked out. BUT they had been told it was only temp when they signed the lease. People who were there had known for over 3 years that the place was getting sold and torn down. It was no suprise. Many peole there waited till the last minute to find a new place, if they had been active they could have had somehting in place.
posted by Just a Voice on March 18th, 2004 at 4:20 pm
oh yah, and the current 555 place, they new that they could only be there for a year, or a bit longer, so when they complain about the place being torn down, don’t be too sympathetic. I’m all for a place for Artists, but lets be real. 555 doesn’t even have non=profit status, so they need to decide are they going to be non-profit and ask for govt money or be capatilists and find a way to finance thier stuff on thier own
posted by Just a Voice on March 18th, 2004 at 4:23 pm
AAiO,
Be Anna.
She gives me a hardon (without my Viagra).

Ilya
posted by ilya on March 18th, 2004 at 7:53 pm
Ilya,
Creepy comments
Offend sensibilities
Like rainwater
Blowing in through an open window

Or, just for you, a haiku:
Blog identities
Are simpler than they appear;
Not your neurosis
posted by Nick on March 19th, 2004 at 8:28 am
Mucho- The reason people left is that the next film was a long ponce-fest on the French Resistance. I made it about 20 minutes in, then bolted. (And while you may have been the only one booing, plenty of hisses were heard).
js
posted by js on March 19th, 2004 at 10:06 am
Vive la Resistance!
posted by Alex on March 19th, 2004 at 10:32 am
I’m so old that I have a hard time hearing the higher frequencies.

What’s a “ponce-fest”?

Does is have anything to do with Ponce De Leon and the Fountain Of Youth?
posted by mucho (hard of hearing) gusto on March 19th, 2004 at 10:40 am
This is a bit off the topic, but does anyone else have fuzzy childhood memories of a bizarre very early morning cartoon about Coronado and the Seven Cities of Gold?
posted by Brandon on March 19th, 2004 at 12:24 pm
Brandon- I do. It was a great series, and was on Nickelodeon. It alternated with some naff adventures of a kid named Sebastian and his Saint Bernard.
Mucho- Poncy: pretentious, foppish, self-absorbed. That last film was utter bullshit.
js
posted by js on March 19th, 2004 at 12:38 pm
JS, are you British or do you just like using their pants slang?
posted by Alex on March 19th, 2004 at 2:16 pm
JS probably just saw “Withnail and I” at some film fest in another dimension…cut some slack.
posted by Leighton on March 19th, 2004 at 2:43 pm
Alex- “Pants” is great slang. As is “tits.” I dunno where I picked it up. Maybe NME? They’re certainly naff and poncy.
js
posted by js on March 19th, 2004 at 8:37 pm
Nick,
I have no more neuroses than do most.
Anna,
I exhibit (nor harbor) no psychotic symptoms.

God, can’t you just stop attacking me. It just makes me crazy.

Love to all,
Ilya
posted by ilya on March 19th, 2004 at 9:47 pm
I went to the FireFly post film fest. I was told that Chrisstina Hamilton (Diector AAFF) would be dancing on the tables by closing time.

Didn’t happen.
posted by mucho (barfly) gusto on March 20th, 2004 at 2:49 am
The whole “cool cities” thing is ridiculous and insulting. Do you know what makes people want to live in a certain place? JOBS. Jobs that pay a living wage.

Jobs ARE a lifestyle issue. Ann Arbor may well have the lowest unemployment rate in Michigan right now, but with Michigan’s unemployment rate at over 7% and continuing to skyrocket, that isn’t saying much.

I know people personally who live in this area and have been unemployed for over a year, with no prospects whatsoever–unless you count Starbucks. And these are college-educated IT professionals, not illiterate tattooed ex-convicts.

If there are no jobs, people will leave. Create the jobs, and people will come. The question of whether a city is “cool” is not only beside the point but bizarre.

The Governor should be castigated for wasting the taxpayers’ money on this “cool cities” garbage even as the state government contributes to the unemployment problem by doing business with contractors that “outsource” Michigan jobs to India.
posted by Mr. Mindboggled on March 20th, 2004 at 12:40 pm
Thank you, Mindboggled — I and others have been trying to make that point for months.
posted by Anna on March 20th, 2004 at 12:54 pm
I mostly algree with your “jobs over coolness” platform, although I take umbrage at your implied insult against the tattooed!
posted by Alex on March 20th, 2004 at 2:13 pm
That’s a good point about the jobs, and one that has been brought up before. I think one of the obvious criticisms of Florida’s thesis is that it seems to have been constructed during the internet boom, where you could predict jobs forming out of concentrations of coolness and capital. Now, after the bust, it seems almost idyllic to propose just “making things cool.”
I know for me, the decision to leave Ypsi was based in large part on being unemployed there. I looked for jobs in Ypsi for a good 5 months, living on savings, then finally got a job in Ann Arbor. The commute sucks, and it was more expensive for me to live there (hard as that sounds to believe).
But if I had to choose between two relatively equal jobs in a “cool” city or in one that had little going on and was aimed toward the suburb set, I’d take the “cool” city in a heartbeat.
And remember, people like Rob Goodspeed weighing in on cool from the perspective of public transit, mixed-use and increased density means that the “cool” is functional (or at least would be if they succeeded).
js
posted by js on March 20th, 2004 at 4:21 pm
Yeah, the jobs thing is critical - I think much of the perceived uncoolness of AA would be better if many of the people who move here for short periods of time, who come from different backgrounds and perspectives, had incentive to stay more than a few years. This is why Chapel Hill is cool. In my case, my decision about where I’ll live after I finish school is constrained by job availability, but the kind of work I do isn’t really done much here, and it wouldn’t justify all the effort of my PhD program to move into tending bar after I was done. Other U-M students and grads are welcome to offer their thoughts; this is just my situation. But if the only people with serious incentive to get involved politically are land developers and moneyed yuppie locals, then the town may well look as they want it to look, and it might be hard for younger people here to build momentum behind any of their own ideas if a large part of them have limited free time because of school, and limited incentive to act because they’ll have to leave in a few years. So, the issue of jobs is really about more than just jobs - economic booms have a way of greatly altering the culture and character of a place, which might not be a bad thing here.

Of course, the flip side of all this relates to JS’s point - it may be about time to admit that much of the Florida “creative class” stuff is not terribly well thought-out, and pause for a moment before tossing money after ideas that aren’t entirely solid.
posted by Nick on March 20th, 2004 at 7:30 pm
My department’s policy, and I think it isn’t an unusual one, pretty much mandates that I leave here when I finish my degree. They tell us during recruitment weekend that they don’t hire their own graduates. If 90% of the graduate students who come here are told in no uncertain terms that they will be leaving in 5-7 years, then there’s not much point in trying to retain them. Unless of course there are jobs for us all at EMU.
posted by Alex on March 21st, 2004 at 12:44 am
There would be, if not for a terrible set of construction investments like a new (unnecessary) union and new (unnecessary) president’s house.
But hey, who wouldn’t want a union with the promise of a full Taco Bell if it means we can’t hire new teachers?
js
posted by js on March 21st, 2004 at 12:25 pm
What Alex is saying seems to be a general academia thing - while post-grad lecturing appointments in your department are common, tenure-track positions generally don’t happen.
posted by Nick on March 21st, 2004 at 1:09 pm
As for jobs vs. cool– there are plenty of jobs in the damned suburbs all over the country, but that doesn’t mean most of us would actually want to live there. Livability and lifestyle factors definitely play a major part– should we settle for being coerced into settling in suburban hell? Heck, many of us would probably even suffer a commute (preferably via rail) if it meant living in a good city rather than an “edge city” or residential suburb.
posted by Brandon on March 21st, 2004 at 6:36 pm
I’m not sure I agree that job activity is necessarily centered in suburbia (although I will give you that that’s true in this area). The thing is that so many people want the single-family-home lifestyle and are willing to deal with a shitty commute. And you can’t blame them in many cases - not a lot of downtown areas are very lived-in or interesting at night - for all of LA’s vaunted nightlife, its downtown is frighteningly empty at night.
posted by Nick on March 21st, 2004 at 9:05 pm
Jobs = necessary but not sufficient for cool.
posted by Anna on March 21st, 2004 at 9:26 pm
I love it when you get all symbolic
posted by Alex on March 21st, 2004 at 9:33 pm