Buffalo Rising post
Granville,David
http://www.buffalorising.com/2009/11/brian-reilly-calls-for-ideas.html#SlideFrame_0
We haven't heard from Commissioner of Economic Development, Permit and Inspection Services Brian Reilly, in some time, but in keeping with his advent of Open Space Action Meetings, he's got another community-driven event in mind. Having been invited by Dennis Galucki to do a lunchtime presentation at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library on the topic "Imagining Buffalo Niagara in the 21st Century," Brian wondered what might result if he tried a slightly different model than a formal lecture.
"After all," Reilly says, "everyone in the room will already be in Buffalo in the 21st century. What do they think about the future they'll be helping create?
So Reilly poses the idea that "if it's true what the Spanish poet Antonio Machado says, 'We make the road by walking,' then...
· What are some interesting steps people in Buffalo are taking today?
· Where might they lead?
Further, since we're a Great Lakes city, Reilly wonders what will happen if he asks others in similar cites to join in.
"So, we want to do an experiment," he says. "We are calling on people from a range of places, people who are living in Buffalo Niagara and beyond, who are thinking about the futures of such Great Lakes cities and people who are doing things right now to build that future to address the question: How might what you are doing today influence our "Imagining Buffalo in the 21st century? Are there new connections being made? Places being created or re-envisioned? A certain way we view assets?" It goes on and on.
Reilly invites interested individuals to start the dialogue and join the discussion he started on Facebook or respond to his call for tweets on Twitter. Reilly can also be emailed at brianreilly14 at gmail.com "Or," he says, "comment on my blog, call me at 716.851.4972, fax me at 716.851.4242. Whatever works for you."
If you're going to express yourself on the Internet, try using the hashtag #imagineBuffalo21 so your contributions can be easily searched for online.
With everything he receives by December 4th, Reilly will try to compile a presentation that reflects what people are doing and what that might say for where Buffalo seems to be going in the 21st century, just a decade into it.
Reilly encourages you to join him in person as well.
Tuesday, December 8, at Noon @ Buffalo and Erie County Downtown Public Library