I received an email yesterday from Lawren Desai, one of the founders of a/perture cinema, that she sent out to folks who might be interested in a new Winston-Salem initiative called the Creative Corridors Coalition. I think many of you might be interested as well, and I think Lawren's email does a great job of explaining why:
Hello all,
I am writing to let you know about a very important community project that I hope will interest you if you live in the Winston-Salem area. Over the next 7 years our community will experience massive investment in roadway infrastructure to support anticipated economic and transportation growth; the total for all of the projects will exceed $1 billion, invested in and around the downtown area. A strong group of community volunteers have formed the Creative Corridors Coalition to lead a process to develop a Master Design Plan which will focus on aesthetics, identity and ensuring that these projects connect rather than divide our city. Simply put, if we are going to experience such important growth, shouldn’t we give thought to how it all fits together and impacts the quality of our community’s life? As an example, 11 new bridges in a 2 mile stretch of Business 40 will be built….they can either look like the ones we have now, or they can architecturally reflect the identity of a city with a storied history and a bright future.
This kind of project happens once every couple of generations so what we do now will be in place for the rest of your life (and your children's life). It really is a fantastic way to make a difference and I encourage you to visit the website for more information (www.creativecorridors.org) and to plan on attending an opening reception on February 7th (see invitation below). CCC has received initial funding in the form of a $200,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and we are actively working on a number of projects in the development, communications, community engagement and design areas.
It is really important that we continue to demonstrate that we, the citizens of Winston Salem, have an interest in this project and want our voice to be heard. Please consider signing up to join the coalition (no cost) and we can keep you updated on the progress. We need you and it will only take a minute. Please join, and if you are especially inspired, get involved in one of our committees.
Befuddled 
I agree. For too long, there has been a geographical divide (highway 52) and a cultural divide in Winston-Salem. It is important to reflect the heritage of places, but it is also important (perhaps more so) to strive towards unity. Aesthetics are important for our downtown because without a vibrant downtown our city will not do as well. The better our city does economically, the less unity issues we will have.
Having grown up in Winston-Salem, I have seen it evolve. I came back after graduating from UVA, and I attend Wake for law school. I recently started a blog that tells humorous stories with a legal twist in the fictional town of Moravia, which is losely based on Winston-Salem. Please take a look at southernlawyernc.blogspot.com. You can follow me on Twitter at slnc01. Brian Clary suggested I contact you as he enjoys my blog; he seems like a very talented guy.
Hey Michael,
Thanks for the comments (I agree with you for sure) and Ill definitely check out your blog. I was going to say something about lawyers and humor, but then I think the world has enough lawyer jokes:)
Jon
I am always looking for good lawyer jokes, so feel free. It is good for me to hear them as there is some grain of truth in every joke. Great blog. I’m new to blogging, but I enjoy it. Great release. I will link to your blog on my blog.
Thanks for looking at my blog. Feel free to leave comments. I’d like for the blog to be entertaining but with some legal element in each story. However, it will be more about people, which is what most of the law is about anyway.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for the blog post and for helping us spread the word about the project! We’re looking to engage as much of the community as possible and will rely heavily on our monthly newsletter and social media to keep the community informed – please sign up at http://www.creativecorridors.org – it only takes 90 seconds. Also, all of the community is invited to our Feb 7 Opening Reception (details also on our website). We hope to see you there!
Jennifer Kiger, Coordinator
Creative Corridors Coalition