Twin City Times- Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Mayor's Corner #109
On August 21, 2009, I received a letter from Mr. George Thrush, FAIA, and Director of the School of Architecture at Northeastern University in Boston. He wrote that I was selected as one of a small group of mayors to participate in the October 7-9, 2009 session of the Mayors Institute on City Design (MICD). The institute is sponsored through the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Architectural Foundation, and the United States Conference of Mayor. There was no cost to the City of Lewiston.
The letter stated that since 1986, the Mayors’ Institute has helped transform communities through design by preparing mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. This particular institute was hosted by the School of Architecture at Northeastern University. It brought together 7 mayors and a select group of planners, architects, landscape designers and other national experts who explored opportunities in each of our cities. It gave us the opportunity to learn new approaches to some of the urban challenges confronting our communities.
Last month Mr. Daniel Hewett who is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Northeastern’s School of Architecture traveled here to Lewiston. Acting City Administrator Phil Nadeau, Assistant to the City Administrator Lincoln Jeffers, Energy Sczar Ian Houseal and I met with him at city hall for a couple of hours discussing the proposed strategic plan covering the Riverfront Island area of downtown Lewiston. This area encompasses all of Island Point, Canal Street to Cedar Street and the river front all the way back to Island Point near the Great Falls. The entire area is encircled by water be it by our canals or the Androscoggin River.
We provided Mr. Hewett with a briefing of what has been developed in the area as well as what is proposed for the area. We stressed to him that our canals and the river are resources that we have that have not been developed for enjoyment by our community and in particular our young adults.
We explained that with our educational institutions in Lewiston-Auburn, we educate our young people only to have them leave to work in areas where there is a great deal of vitality and recreational activity for them to enjoy. If we are to retain and attract an educated workforce to bring in industries and economic development, we must be able to demonstrate that we have such a workforce here in order for employers and developers to invest in this area.
Continue reading "Mayor's Corner: Mayors’ Institute on City Design at Northeastern University " »










