Item A: Arts and Outdoors Issue - Laserfiche WebLink

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· Increased economic activity due to arts, outdoors, and tourism. · Eugene is well-known as a great place for arts and outdoors. · Residents have greater access to arts and outdoors. C. Progress to Date Following is a summary of internal and external programs that will contribute to the development of the Arts and Outdoors effort: · The Lane County Board of County Commissioners established the Lane County Tourism Infrastructure Task Force in April 2004 to identify, analyze, and make recommendations for a strategy to develop tourism infrastructure opportunities with the objective of creating Lane County as a destination point. · Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI) is taking the lead in a collaborative effort to brand Downtown Eugene as the "Arts and Entertainment Epicenter of the Region". In coordination with the theme of"World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors", the brand will be launched this summer with a continuing marketing and public relations program for the following 18 months. The DEI Brand Plan was developed by Funk/Levis & Associates (FLA) in 2003. · Mayor Piercy has established the Sustainable Economic Development Task Force to solicit ideas from business leaders, the public, and sustainability experts about the expansion and creation of business and job opportunities in sustainable development. · The Eugene and Springfield city councils, Lane County Board of Commissioners, and the Willamalane Park and Recreation District conducted the Rivers to Ridges Metropolitan Parks and Open Space Study with the goals of creating a regional parks and open space vision and identifying long and short term strategies for implementing the vision. The plan presents numerous recommendations that support cultural and recreational tourism. · The Eugene Downtown Plan, adopted in 2004, provides a framework for public and private decisions affecting downtown in the future. Two primary themes in the plan are to reinforce downtown Eugene as a strong regional center and to strengthen downtown as a cultural center and the center of community life. · The Public Art Program managed by the Facility Management Division includes maintenance of the City of Eugene outdoor Public Art Collection, management of the Public Art Trust Fund, and coordination with other City departments and community groups in the planning, selection and acquisition of new public art for capital construction projects. · The Parks, Recreation & Open Space Comprehensive Plan identifies future needs for parks, open space, and recreation programs and services. While the focus of this plan is aimed at meeting the needs of residents, implementation of the plan will continue to reinforce community livability. In addition, several recommended program and facility improvements provide significant opportunities for cultural and recreational tourism, including festival spaces, river-related recreation, regional trails, and athletic facilities. Council Strategic Priority 5: Arts/Outdoors 2