Fresno's Downtown Dreams

"Fresno's city leaders Tuesday unveiled an eight-year strategy to turn downtown into a vibrant metropolis with a river walk surrounded by high-rise buildings, specialty shops and restaurants. The strategy's initial driving force will be a $30 million investment by the city. But where the money will come from, and whether the investment will affect the city's upcoming budget, is not immediately known. Unfortunately, the plan doesn't address other changes that need to occur to aid in a downtown rebirth, such as a revision of the city's suburban-oriented zoning for the downtown area, or a reversal of the recent habit of vacating streets to create superblocks, which tends to inhibit the walkability and street life that are associated with healthy downtowns.