In an effort to address the challenges of the current recession and the emerging conditions that Stamford will face over the next several decades, we are reaching out to dynamic and knowledgeable citizens to participate in a a civic conversation that will serve as a strategy-in-action and a means by which Stamford citizens take control of their destiny.
Reinventing Stamford: Redefining the Recession, kicked off on Tuesday, March 24th with 105 participants at the Palace Theater. A second event on May 11th focused on Stamford's connections to the metro, the megaregion and the global network. There were two events in June: one on downtown place-making on June 8th; and one on the intersection of education and the economy on June 10th. We took the summer off and then reconvened on September 17th, to focus on Stamford: the Green City; on October 28th, when we began a transition from information gathering and conversation to strategy-in-action; and on December 8th, with the theme of Stamford: the Creative City, with a focus on finding opportunties in emerging conditions to create jobs and wealth. On March 10th, we released Pivot Point: the first year of Reinventing Stamford. A PDF of the report can be donwloaded from the Resources section of this website. Pivot Point
shapes the ideas generated by the seven 2009 Reinventing Stamford town
meetings into a coherent strategy for Stamford that lays a foundation
for long-term economic growth, energy efficiency, environmental quality
and reduced economic disparity. At the March 10th event, we transitioned from conversation and information-gathering to strategy-in-action through the formation of four Action Teams, each focused on one of the strategy elements highlighted in a section of Pivot Point.
The Partners: Stamford Achieves, Stamford Downtown Special Services District, Stamford Economic Development Commission, Fairfield County Community Foundation, GE Asset Management, Stamford Hospital, Stamford Partnership, Stamford Planning Board, Pitney Bowes, Stamford Public Schools, and Stamford Urban Redevelopment Commission.
The Proposition: We need to develop strategies and promote actions that accelerate Stamford's reorientation around the economic crisis. Stamford should aim to emerge from the recession as a more innovative, greener, more sustainable and diversified economy, and overall, a more consciously resilient place and people. Next Event: The ninth Reinventing Stamford town meeting will take place Wednesday, June 2nd, from 6 to 9 pm at UConn Stamford. The event will start with short presentation by each of the four Action Teams on their work, followed by small group discussion. Each table of eight will include one representative from each of the four teams, plus four attendees not currently involved with a team. This will give the larger community an opportunity for input to the work of the teams and enable the four teams to cross-pollinate each other.
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