Thursday, April 10, 2008

downtown re:VISION

Ok, it's time for some shameless self promotion. I've recently launched the downtown re:VISION project to spark new ideas and action around downtown Tucson. The first project is the BURRITO files, where I interview people on the streets of downtown and invite the public to do the same.

Here are a few examples. I invite you to participate - as an interviewee or interviewer!



April 3, 2008
1. What is your name? Justin
2. What are you doing downtown: Hosting an open house for One North Fifth
3. Do you live in Tucson? Yes. Originally from Buffalo, NY.
4. Describe downtown in 3 words or less: historic, funky, re-nascent
5. If downtown was a burrito, what would be in it? chipotle, nopales, guacamole, beans, lettuce and cheese.
6. Have any significant events in your life occurred in downtown Tucson? It's part of my re-birth.

P.S. Learn more about One North Fifth - the new apartments on Congress Street - at Thursday open houses at the new Tooley's on Congress (corner of Congress and 5th). Free coffee and snacks! (No, I wasn't paid to write this, but I did get some free coffee!)



April 3, 2008
1. What is your name? Maxx/Laura
2. What are you doing downtown: Just got off work/taking a break
3. Do you live in Tucson? Yes, native/Yes, from New Jersey
4. Describe downtown in 3 words or less: I love it/It needs more
5. If downtown was a burrito, what would be in it? no guacamole/lots of people going green and reading books, lots of friendly faces
6. Have any significant events in your life occurred in downtown Tucson? I got married once downtown/I got married once downtown (they didn't know this about each other).

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE BURRITO FILES

4 comments:

Margie Puerta Edson, CFRE said...

Very cool. How will you measure impact?

Julie Ray said...

Great question! Since one of the goals is to engage people in dialogue, one way I will measure impact is through numbers of people that get involved in the project via leaving a message on the blog, leading a project, being a participant or audience member. This Friday, I'm going to meet with students at City High to talk about their involvement!

Margie Puerta Edson, CFRE said...

Any chance someone might take offense by your calling the interviews the "Burrito Files" and see it as marginalizing Hispanic culture?

Julie Ray said...

Another good question! That is possible that someone may take offense, and I have thought of that. I have several responses:

1. My goal of the project is to get people thinking differently about downtown. Using a metaphor such as a burrito is unexpected and grabs people's attention.

2. The burrito is a Mexican-American invention. Some believe it originated somewhere between Tucson and Los Angeles. It can be seen as representing the borderlands we inhabit here in Tucson.

3. I would like other people to get involved in the project and make it their own. The questions can be downloaded and used by anyone. Why not change "burrito" to samosa, pupusa, knish, etc.

4. Finally, there's nothing like controversy to get people to pay attention. Although that was not my intention, if that indirectly helps the cause, so be it.