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There are a numberofthingsthatstandouttomeregardingthis.First,intheSouth <br />WillametteSpecialAreaZonewebsitelastyearthesepictureswerepartof a “rotating” <br />displayatthetopofthewebsite(similartothenewsite,butsmallerimages). In fact,they <br />constitutedalloftherotatingdisplay: outof13photos,11wereofoneeventand 2 were at <br />anotherevent(apparentlyinanunidentifiedpark).Consideringthattheplannershave <br />talkedabouthavingseveral‘charrettes’and‘parklets’it’snotclearwhytheyconcentrated <br />onone.Perhapsit’sbecauseArriving By Bikewas a supporteroftheplan(oneperson <br />suggestedthat).Perhapsthereweren’treallythatmanysuchevents. <br />Theeventinthepark (2 pictures)appearstobeclearlylabelledandobviousas a City-run <br />informationalbooth(notethe‘tablecloth’). <br />TheoneatArrivingByBike(11pictures)isannouncedby a chalkboardsignwhichhasat <br />thebottom“Partnership withEugenePlanningandUOAAA”. It doesn’tsayCityof <br />Eugeneandit’snotclearwho’srunningit.Equallyimportantisthenatureofthesign. I <br />gobysuchchalkboardsignsall thetime.They are used foradvertising atimelyspecial, <br />oroccasionallyaneventofinteresttothebusiness’sclientele. I rarelyreadthem: <br />‘chalkboardsign,advertising,don’tneedit’.It'sverycleartomethat thissign,andevent, <br />couldbedismissedaslocaladvertisingbyanyonegoingby,eveniftheywerewalking. <br />edoesreadthesign,it’slikelytoappearasanArriving By Bikeevent.“Eugene <br />Evenifon <br />Planning”canbeinterpretedastheCity’sPlanningDepartment,butitmightreferto <br />somethingfromtheUO,whichisclearlyinvolved,orfromArriving By Bike,orfrom <br />someotherorganization.Itmightjustbe a phrase,althoughthe“and”makesthatunlikely. <br />Ifthereisanythingvisibletopassers-bytoidentifythisas aCityofEugeneevent, it’snot <br />clearinthephotos,andtheeventiswelldocumentedvisually.(Notethatthesign <br />apparentlychangesplacelaterintheday,unless itwasjustputintheupperpositionfor a <br />photo.) <br />IfthisisthebesttheCityPlanning Departmentcando, that’ssad. I thinkthisis a caseof <br />thingsbeingobvioustothoseonthe“inside”(planners andothers)andsotheyassume <br />thateveryoneelsewill“getit”too.That’s a common,butbad,assumption.(That <br />assumptionwillshowupagain when I gettoTerminology.) <br />LessonsTo Be Learned <br />Don’tassumethat justbecauseit’scleartoyouthatitwillbecleartootherpeople. If it’s <br />aCity run event,oriftheCityis‘officially’involved,thenmaketheCityofEugene’s <br />involvementprominentandclear. <br /> <br />