This week, Oklahoma City is hosting the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors. Since 1986, the Mayors’ Institute has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. This three-day session in Oklahoma City will bring together seven mayors, seven preeminent design and development professionals, and

The intercity visit to Houston last week, organized by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, highlighted examples of Houston’s changing demographics, efforts to rebrand as a tourist destination, work to create a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation and the impact of nearly two decades of development and investment in the central core. Despite its status as the fourth-largest city in the U.S., for many years Houston was not known as a draw for travelers. Leadership has worked

Regional economic development makes sense on several levels. Over the past few months, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments has been working with TIP Strategies to update the Capital Area Economic Development District of Oklahoma’s 2012 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. CAPEDD is the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s designated Economic Development District that covers ACOG’s four-county region, including Canadian, Cleveland, Logan and Oklahoma

Oklahoma City’s historic structures tell the story of commerce, culture, civil rights efforts, state history and the business and cultural icons who were key to that history. These often neglected landmarks and buildings are worthy of the thoughtful planning, time and resources necessary to restore and preserve the structures to continue to serve our community. The preservation of historic structures can make a significant impact on property values and job creation, perhaps e