A historic meeting took place on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Verdin Bell Event Center in Historic Pendleton Village of Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine Arts District. Over 200 people witnessed the alignment of Cincinnati's most visible urban advocates. These people understand the importance of our downtown and Over-the-Rhine as symbols of the vitality of our region.

The Downtown Residents Council, Pendleton Community Council, Urbanist I & II, Cincinnati Tomorrow, Cincinnatus, and BUILD Cincinnati groups gathered with many individual political and civic leaders including iRhine to hear and discuss John Alschuler's plan for Center City. The urbanist energy absolutely overflowed from the Bell Event Center.

"iRhine.com is our daily Urban Summit," Jeffrey Stec, Urbanist II Founder.

John Alschuler, the consultant who has been working with city and business leaders to craft a Center City Plan to guide development in the central business district spoke from 6-8 p.m. He presented an overview of his ideas for the reinvigoration of downtown and contiguous neighborhoods and the practical follow-up steps that are under discussion.

Alschuler recommends that we focus the city's efforts on a more active and central Fountain Square. He also recognizes the importance of Cincinnati's cultural arts and the collection of Italianate architecture in Over-the-Rhine and suggests we revitalize Washington Park.

"The time has come to stop talking and start working, we are asking for committed volunteers to take-on this challenge of Alschuler's Plan on an issue-by-issue basis," states Stec.

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 will forever be remembered as the day Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine and the Urbanists made us all believers again.

"The Urbanists have defined what we all have felt and we will support their efforts to implement Alschuler's Plan,"
Ran Mullins, iRhine Founder.

iRhine accepted Terry Grundy's challenge at the meeting and we intend to provide the technological voice for the Urbanists as a formal partnership. Look forward to updates on progress and opportunities to contribute time, effort, energy, and resources at iRhine.com.

Prior to the meeting iRhine extended a gesture of collaboration to the Urbanist group by promoting the event to our database in the cover story, "The Urbanists Take Root in Over-the-Rhine."

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