The PennLive discussion, which focused on reviving downtown Harrisburg, significantly sparked the conversation.
A panel of experts discussed the difficult but solvable issues facing the downtown of Pennsylvania’s capital city, which has seen a sharp decrease in recent years. An estimated 160 people attended the event on Monday night at Harrisburg University, and hundreds more watched online.
Important subjects were discussed, such as how to best incorporate the aspirations of the entire community into a comprehensive plan that outlines Harrisburg’s better future.
However, spending more than 90 minutes delving deeply into serious topics like the low population density of downtown and the ongoing impediment of racial segregation wasn’t quite enough.
PennLive and its devoted audience, who are interested in re-creating the capital city, intend to carry on the discussion because of this.
47 questions about how Harrisburg could rebuild for tomorrow were submitted by the forum’s online and in-person audience on Monday night alone.
In order to assist us address these and other concerns, PennLive is extending an invitation to interested readers, local officials, economic development specialists, and downtown planners and developers to write guest editorials and letters to the editor.
The following categories applied to the audience questions:
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What successful strategies used in Lancaster City s 30-year rise can be adapted to Harrisburg s rebirth?
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How do we ensure revitalization efforts aren t focused on state employees and tourists alone? This, so city residents from all neighborhoods benefit by enjoying downtown as a place to live, shop and spend time.
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Can Harrisburg ever hope to rise given the wider problems of city taxes, parking, its still-troubled schools and the environmental threats of river flooding?
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How do we best to ensure younger residents are included in the conversations and represented in leadership for a Harrisburg 2.0?
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As mega-dollars are invested downtown, how do small businesses and entrepreneurs from diverse racial and social backgrounds get their fair share?
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Will Harrisburg residents who stuck it out through thick and thin get a seat at the table or be pushed away?
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Will Harrisburg form a private, non-profit organization similar to the Lancaster City Alliance to lead revitalization here?
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Does Harrisburg s newest redevelopment effort consisting of a collaboration among city government, Capital Region Economic Development Corp. and the Harrisburg Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) fit the bill?
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How do you overcome segregation as a major hurdle in creating a capital city that welcomes all?
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Will incoming corporate support and assistance from chamber and economic development groups extend to small and diverse businesses?
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Is there any way to get West Shore communities more involved in Harrisburg s rebirth? After all, the city s still the highest profile face of the entire capital region.
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Above all, what are the next steps in getting Harrisburg moving again?
The emphasis on saving Harrisburg stems from a PennLive special story that was published earlier this year that compared Lancaster’s downtown with that of the capital city.
However, the discussion is only beginning. There are still many questions and a lot of work to be done.
See PennLive for ongoing coverage in the form of editorials, special reports, and news pieces.
