I think staff did their best. They can’t blow the whole bikeshare budget on one station. Evidently there’s a rubber membrane a foot or two down underneath all the pavers and hardscape which helps seal the underground facilities from water.
Raleigh bike share will have “virtual stations” - basically dockless technology that allows city staff to station bikes at the convention center without a physical dock. Not sure if they are actually going to do that or not, they just mentioned it is an option.
Some long reading I’ve got saved when there’s down time. I continue to think about what is unique to Raleigh and then how to bring that out and share it far and wide.
Figured this would belong here regarding our national image.
Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers report on TBJ that details the upcoming real estate markets to watch.
Raleigh ranks # 3 in overall real estate prospects and # 7 nationally in home building prospects.
Thanks for sharing that; it’s honestly a really important article that should be required reading for everyone on this site.
TL/DR snippet of the article:
[A]s urban branding consultant Carl Wohlt has stressed, a city should seek to be known for one sure thing. This doesn’t have to be the only thing it’s known for; but having at least one clear promise that can be delivered is important.
[…]
Cities, like companies, have a brand and often spend significant sums to market that brand. They do not always apply significant scrutiny to their branding efforts.
…this makes me wonder. What is Raleigh? Why are we uniquely special?
We keep referring to ourselves as sort of a mid-Atlantic Silicon Valley and real estate haven or whatever, but that puts us on the headlines. Why are we special and why should Raleigh and the Triangle, specifically, matter?
Thank you! A truly interesting read. I think that I will take some time and write down as many of the items from this article and see if I can come up with something that I can share and see what others think…Happy Friday and thank you again Leo for all that you do!
I’m going to be that guy and answer their own question…
Sports and wellness? Could it be our “thing” to be something like the “Region of Life”?
We have UNC, Duke, and State dominating college sports, we have parks everywhere, and healthcare is a major industry in our area. We have multiple natural parks wedged within or just a short drive away from our major cities, …hell, even our Krispy Kreme challenge involves running!
Could we try to solidify our national image as a city/region by rallying behind that one brand?
(if Raleigh can make this into a true brand, then it has the side effect of making it much easier to get an MLS or MLB team to the Triangle, too?)
I like the way you think! Plus once Dix Park is finished, I could see a new Raleigh marathon running through the park, or at least part of it. Maybe Dix could host a Saturday morning 5/10k every week? That could be a reason for people to visit the city? Add to that increased greenway mileage, that could catch on.
Maybe they could use a different, shallower-graded route when/if the new master plan for Dix comes through. Having a southern version of the Boston Marathon could be interesting. There was also this other event in the Triangle in the 80s that might have some interesting ideas…
But I don’t think it has to be restricted to events. Catering to people interested in adventure travel/active tourism (for Dix, Eno River, Jordan Lake, Crabtree, Umstead etc.) or medical tourism might be a good way to get the attention of people who don’t already know about us.
Good Riddance!! I ran the half three times and the full once. I skipped the final year. This race got progressively worse every time I ran it. The City of Oaks Marathon is Raleigh’s hometown race and it does a great job. The course goes down Western, but doesn’t enter Dix Park. True Dix Park is a bit hilly for distance running, but maybe short distance races (5k/10k) would do well here.
Seriously?? This is a “fun” race, but has nothing to do with fitness. Running and barfing is not fun or healthy. I have done this race three times… that was two times too many. I do enjoy running through the City, but the back half (post KK) I could do without
Our region continues to grow. This is seen in our universities, museums, arts scene, nature and recreation oriented facilities, festivals, etc… We must continue to work as a region to nurture these assets while continuing to add our own character. We can be sleepy while also being bustling with business and innovation. We can be family-oriented while also being a place for young people, empty-nesters, and retirees.
I think this is the foundation of a broader identity. I think the Olympic Sports Festival highlighted some of that identity – collaboration across institutions of higher learning, employment centers(s), transportation, municipalities, etc.
Maybe there’s a way to better highlight the ‘research’ aspect of the Triangle. A region wide incubator with a publicly interactive museum or demo space.
Ha sorry, was a reference to and HBO show called Silicon Valley—a comedy based on these tech guys who work on their apps at this guy’s house and he’s always wanting royalties because it’s his “incubator.”
A city most certainly cannot be sleepy while bustling. That is an oxymoron. Furthermore, “family friendly” is code for basic, kid oriented crap. It’s how Charlotte became so bland. They strove for years to create the “family friendly” vibe, and now it looks and feels like some ticky-tacky movie set.
I find it kind of hard to believe Hopscotch was mentioned once or twice and the Hurricanes (the only professional sports team in North Carolina to have a championship) not at all. I get attendance is down coupled with an unfortunate lack of success, but in terms of “national” recognition I would have to say not including that somehow is odd. Hockey in the south. I would also argue keeping Hopscotch as indie as possible is needed to hold on to uniqueness.
If you’re looking for something we need to be known for, I would definitely say we kind of already have it. Downtown was dead barely more than 10 years ago especially compared to now. And that didn’t come from high rise buildings. Parks, street-level experiences, food culture and other activity.
That being said, Dix Park. Whatever that hi-res photo of the master plan was build italready!
Please know that I mean absolutely no insult to your comment. However, what exactly is “it” that you mean that we already have? Dix Park? (other cities already known for that) Hockey in the South (ditto) (Hopscotch? in name only, idea is way used)???
Raleigh keeps getting excellent reviews, Bhavana’s writeup and I believe someone in New York Times even came back here for a second visit.
I don’t think we need something else (definitely better marketing for the Canes which is already happening with the new ownership) I think we should just continue with what we have now and keep pushing for innovation to city council.
