At last week’s state-of-the-city address, Mayor Jim Torrey spoke of a joint effort between the City of Eugene and the University in order to help bring more jobs to the city and revitalize the downtown. We think this sounds like a good idea.
The University has vast resources at its disposal and a strong student base for prospective employers to hire, if students could be tempted to stay in the area after graduation. In the spirit of revitalization, we offer a couple of quick suggestions for ways the two entities could work together to build a more thriving Eugene:
* Our city has many features that appeal to the demographic working in the high-tech software and applications industry. Eugene is close to the coast, the mountains and Portland, yet still offers a relaxed way of life. There are also plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities directly in and around the city. The computer science department can work to train students for the jobs of tomorrow, and the city can work to lure Internet companies and Web developers, to the benefit of Eugene and Oregon. Utah is setting up special tax incentives to lure Silicon Valley companies, and with some effort, Eugene could do the same thing.
* The unfair depiction of Eugene as a haven for anarchists and crusty hippies needs to stop. Working with the University’s sociology department and journalism school, the city could fight the national image of Eugene and more accurately reflect the colorful culture that exists in our neighborhoods. The sociology department could work on demographic studies of neighborhoods to show the real bohemian Eugene and the journalism school could be enlisted for a national public relations campaign to end the misnomer that Eugene is a training ground for disgruntled, brick-wielding, hard-left extremists.
City officials could also help the situation by stopping the demonization of neighborhoods, such as the Whiteaker — often portrayed as a nest of black-clad Starbucks-haters when it’s really a compassionate network of lower-income individuals — and instead work on intense revitalization of every neighborhood. Rather than just focusing on tying together the pockets of successful businesses in the downtown area, why not encourage more successful local businesses in every area of the city, through tax incentives and small-business assistance programs?
* Focusing on the recreational opportunities Eugene offers and investing in Eugene’s unique culture to make it flourish would both help our final suggestion: making a serious effort to boost tourism in the city. The University has many departments that could assist in such an effort, from marketing and public relations to small-business expertise and public planning.
Eugene is a great destination to explore Oregon’s natural beauty, and with more bed-and-breakfasts and vacation services, the natural resource could be enjoyed by many, with economic benefits for the city.
In addition, the University could help by using some of its land around town to boost the tourism factor. Why not work with the city on a riverfront project? The mighty Willamette flows right past the University on its way through town, and restaurants and shops, along with revamped waterfront access, would be a beautiful way to take advantage of the city’s locale. Surely, there will be environmental issues involved in developing the river, but with careful planning — the University’s science department has the resources — development could happen in tune with nature. Such development would be more easily embraced than a half-empty Riverfront Research Park or another Hyundai.
Eugene and the University both stand to benefit from an economic development partnership. We hope they look for innovative ideas that enhance Eugene’s unique cultural niche, rather than turn the city into just another strip of big-box stores and transnational industrial development.
This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editorial board. Responses can be sent to [email protected].