Later in the day began the project’s official public kick-off workshop at Amador Live, where an enthusiastic group of neighbors, business owners, and others with an interest in the future of downtown pored over maps and aerial photos of the project area, noting the area’s assets and opportunities for improvement.
“What we see downtown today — the streetscapes, the plaza, the mix of shops and events — didn’t happen by accident,” said project lead Susan Henderson. “It’s taken over two decades of steady work: planning, refining, building, adjusting, and trying again.”
Noting the incremental nature of the work, she continued: “Downtown is a living project, not a finished one, And that is exactly how great places are made, one decision at a time, over years, with lots of voices contributing.”
Perhaps predictably, each table featured lively discussion as relative strangers sought common ground and different perspectives weaved in and out of the discussion. From the need for improved walkability, to universal design and accessibility for all, to greener, more sustainable landscapes, to the ravaging effects of urban renewal and what can be done to repair historic inequities, the evening touched on all aspects of downtown, both positive and negative.
