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A vacant building on the corner of 11th and Market in downtown Tacoma has some newfound pizazz. Namely a mural painted by Downtown on the Go, a transportation advocate for residents and businesses downtown.
DotG's mural is interactive. Passersby can pick up a piece of chalk and add in their own commentary on what they love or don't love about downtown. In short, DotG has developed the coolest survey ever.
And they intend to listen to the wall.
"We're hoping for real feedback about living downtown," says Kristina Walker, Downtown on the Go manager. "We know that there are some outdated misperceptions of downtown Tacoma, but we also know there are some real reasons that people aren't making that choice (to live downtown) even with the many benefits of living close to work. We want to hear about those and, with the greater downtown community, begin to address them."
Eventually the chalk-written comments will fade away, but DotG is taking daily photos to record what's written and will collect the input throughout the project.
"Our Live Downtown program is in a pilot phase," says Walker. "As we develop the next phase of the project, this input is imperative to the discussion about how we market downtown living and the program."
She is also happy to see comments that simply show why downtown is already cool or why people go downtown. Walker says the comments will help DotG continue to expand transportation options and resources for downtown employees and residents.