The New City Square

The revitalization of Fountain Square, in downtown Cincinnati, is almost completed, and the grand re-opening takes place on October 14th. Bootsy Collins is the master of ceremonies and there will be performances by the Symphony, the Ballet, and many more. Check out the website for details. City planners still face substantial challenges in breathing fresh life into this important centerpiece of city life (such as leasing out the remaining retail space) - but overall this is a promising new beginning in a town that needs every break it can get.

A gigantic new television screen is a key element of the new Fountain Square. While walking though downtown yesterday I noticed it had been installed - a massive monolithic structure suspended above the public area. It's impressive. There's talk about movies on the square - and a contest is being held to determine a name for the massive screen.

My first reaction was positive, but after thinking about it for a while my traditionalist side took over. Wouldn't it be nice to have places in our civic life without any type of screen? Is it now a radical idea to consider the possibility of public places and town square where our main focus is other live, nearby human beings? These might be our family and neighbors - or some kind of live performance from a cultural group or musicians. The folks putting together the new Fountain Square are working very hard, and their marketing uses the words "Reconnect". It's a worthwhile idea - but it might mean tearing our eyes away from omnipresent screens in our lives and spending some time talking with our neighbors.

Tags: Cincinnati, Fountain Square, Third Spaces