Downtown Living Blog

Mayor Coleman, 2012 Bicentennial Commission and Area Residents Unite to Discuss Columbus’ Bicentennial
More than 1,500 attend Citizen Summit to give feedback on City’s future

(COLUMBUS) Working to bring voices together from across the city, Mayor Michael B. Coleman and 2012 Bicentennial Co-Chairs Bishop Timothy J. Clarke, of the First Church of God, The Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, and Abigail S. Wexner, Founder and Chair of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence and KidsOhio.org, joined together with more than 1,500 Columbus residents to participate in the largest community-wide event in the city’s history, the 2012 Bicentennial Citizen Summit. James Surowiecki, author of the national bestseller, The Wisdom of Crowds was the featured keynote speaker.

“Public input is the cornerstone of the 2012 Bicentennial process, and I am proud to see so many of our residents step up to have their voices heard,” said Mayor Coleman. “Together, we will set a path to a great 200^th birthday and an even greater future for the City of Columbus."

The summit is an opportunity for Columbus residents, area business, government, and non-profit leaders to share their vision on building Columbus for its bicentennial in 2012. During the program, participants had the opportunity to discuss ideas and give instant feedback using wireless keypad voting technology.

James Surowiecki knows the importance of a collaborative process. In The Wisdom of Crowds, Surowiecki describes systematic ways to organize and aggregate the intelligence available in order to arrive at superior decisions – often better than those that individuals would make, even if they are “experts.” His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Foreign Affairs and other major publications.

“It’s critical that we hear from diverse segments of our community,” said Bishop Clarke. “Everyone has a stake in the future of our city, and the summit is an opportunity to hear from people who often don’t have a public forum.”

The Bicentennial Commission is made up of more than 250 civic and neighborhood leaders that lend their expertise and insights in 13 groups focused on ways to improve our city in three key areas:  building America’s best quality of life; celebrating our history, people and future; and, setting 21st century goals and innovations.

“Young people are the future of Columbus, and we need to make a decision to do the right thing,” said Dr. Gee. “We need to determine if we leave our young people a stagnating, post-industrial city of the Midwest or a vibrant and promising city of tomorrow.”\

Wexner also looks at the city’s future through the eyes of its youngest residents.

“Columbus is a city which cares about its children,” she said, “and our bicentennial is the opportunity to create a world-class community where our children – and our children’s children – will grow up safe and healthy, with the best possible educational and cultural opportunities we can imagine.”

Since June 2007, over 10,000 comments have been gathered about the city’s future through the use of an innovative public think tank, online and neighborhood surveys, youth and college forums and other community outreach events. 

Following the summit, the 2012 Bicentennial Commission will host five neighborhood meetings in February to gain further input. Upon completion, the Commission will distill the results of the extensive public input and make decisions on community priorities. The Blueprint for the Bicentennial, which will be released in May 2008, will guide the community in accomplishing its goals.