Downtown By Laura Dennis
Downtowns are special. They are the economic engines of their regions. They provide a collective identity to a place and its citizens. Denser development breeds a creative energy, while supporting regional entertainment and cultural destinations. Their carbon footprints are smaller, while providing all the amenities needed for a vibrant and walkable lifestyle. But perhaps more than anything, downtowns are special because they are everyone’s neighborhood — to live, work and play. Downtown Tulsa is the innovative fusion of big city amenities and small-town comforts. Locals and visitors can go to world-class concerts at the BOK Center, watch a movie or participate in numerous healthy activities at the Guthrie Green urban park, explore the city’s historic Route 66 and art deco architecture, shop for local goods, or take in scenic views at numerous dining establishments. Whatever calls someone to downtown Tulsa, they can expect great food, friendly conversations, and enough events to fill a weekend or even a lifetime.
Outdoor dining Outdoor dining continued to be a favored compromise for both diners and restaurant owners as the global pandemic lingered. Weekends on Main was one popular solution. Restaurants and venues along Main Street in the Tulsa Arts District offered outdoor street dining on the weekends by closing one block of the street to vehicle traffic. Designed as an attempt to offer more outdoor, physically distanced dining, the community quickly embraced the idea. Musicians joined in the act, too, such as the pop-up performance on July 2 by the Tulsa Peoples’ Orchestra.
Ordinances allowing business owners to construct parklets continued into 2021. Parklets help reimagine and reuse on-street parking spaces to extend the sidewalk to provide new space for seats, tables or other public amenities. Parklets are built and maintained by an adjacent business and offer residents and visitors new opportunities to stop, sit and enjoy the surrounding neighborhood street life. Parklets increase street vibrancy and can improve the quality of life in Tulsa’s commercial corridors. CONTINUED ON P. 18
In 2021, the Downtown Tulsa Partnership was formed by property and business owners, as well as civic leaders, to advocate for and champion the continued improvement of downtown. The Downtown Tulsa Partnership manages the downtown improvement district and provides enhanced maintenance, beautification and livability services, mobility and public realm planning, and marketing and place enhancement initiatives that result in a vibrant, inclusive urban neighborhood. Visit downtowntulsaok.com to learn more. Elote Cafe and Catering’s parklet
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V I S I O N T U L S A 2 0 22 tulsacouncil.org
MICHELLE POLLARD
In 2020, an effort was launched by the City of Tulsa to create a strategic plan for a new downtown management organization to oversee enhanced service delivery in downtown Tulsa. After engaging more than 4,000 Tulsans through one-on-one interviews, roundtable discussions and a community survey, five common themes were identified as important areas of focus: Economic vitality; clean, safe and welcoming; beautification; mobility; and communications.
