Bangor 2020: A Sustainable Future for the Queen City
Bangor 2020 is a collaborative, multimedia project designed to report on the possibilities of what Bangor could and, in many cases, should do to become a more vibrant, attractive, livable city by the year 2020.
Students from the Department of Journalism and Communication at the University of Maine – in a unique collaboration with mentors from Maine’s largest newspaper, the Bangor Daily News – through extensive research and a multitude of newsgathering techniques, have produced a compilation of media they hope will spark an ongoing conversation about what it means to sustainably grow the city of Bangor.
The Queen City’s proverbial Renaissance in the last decade has already given citizens signs for hope.
Bangor’s city council ushered in a new group of councilors, including 30-year-old chairman Ben Sprague, who all ran on a platform of change and progress; the $65 million Cross Insurance Center set up shop right across from the Waterfront and its successful concert series; and the economic and cultural growth of Downtown in addition to the expansion of Broadway and the Bangor Mall area all shine as examples of the progress this city has already made – progress that revolves around the revamping and modernization of opportunities Bangor already has at its disposal.
Challenges still remain, however, and some more serious than others.
Bangor continues to have a reputation as an area with a drug problem, and the median income of Bangorians is roughly $10,000 below the state average and $15,000 below the national average. Sprague has led the charge in the preliminary, idea-generating stages to combat these and other lingering issues, but more work is still required.
Students from the Department of Journalism and Communication at the University of Maine – in a unique collaboration with mentors from Maine’s largest newspaper, the Bangor Daily News – through extensive research and a multitude of newsgathering techniques, have produced a compilation of media they hope will spark an ongoing conversation about what it means to sustainably grow the city of Bangor.
The Queen City’s proverbial Renaissance in the last decade has already given citizens signs for hope.
Bangor’s city council ushered in a new group of councilors, including 30-year-old chairman Ben Sprague, who all ran on a platform of change and progress; the $65 million Cross Insurance Center set up shop right across from the Waterfront and its successful concert series; and the economic and cultural growth of Downtown in addition to the expansion of Broadway and the Bangor Mall area all shine as examples of the progress this city has already made – progress that revolves around the revamping and modernization of opportunities Bangor already has at its disposal.
Challenges still remain, however, and some more serious than others.
Bangor continues to have a reputation as an area with a drug problem, and the median income of Bangorians is roughly $10,000 below the state average and $15,000 below the national average. Sprague has led the charge in the preliminary, idea-generating stages to combat these and other lingering issues, but more work is still required.
Through one semester of research, UMaine’s Bangor 2020 team identified and reported on three areas crucial to creating a more livable and sustainable future for Bangor: Arts, Technology and Recreation.
Could a downtown theater help make Bangor a destination art scene?
How could making the city more walkable – expanding and improving the trail system and road conditions – help it become more attractive to both current residents and those “From Away”?
What is Bangor’s icon? What does it say about the city and its people?
Does Bangor have an aging problem? How can it strike a balance between attracting younger generations while still providing a quality place to settle for retirees?
What major events have shaped Bangor into what it is today, and how can the city learn from those events in order to improve upon its cultural and economic appeal?
Why are city parks (and access to them) so crucial in creating a more alluring place to plant one’s roots?
How would Bangor benefit from integrating accessible, citywide technological tools like Google Fiber as some modern U.S. cities already have?
The Bangor 2020 team reported on ways to make the Queen City move livable over the next six years. These are their stories.
Could a downtown theater help make Bangor a destination art scene?
How could making the city more walkable – expanding and improving the trail system and road conditions – help it become more attractive to both current residents and those “From Away”?
What is Bangor’s icon? What does it say about the city and its people?
Does Bangor have an aging problem? How can it strike a balance between attracting younger generations while still providing a quality place to settle for retirees?
What major events have shaped Bangor into what it is today, and how can the city learn from those events in order to improve upon its cultural and economic appeal?
Why are city parks (and access to them) so crucial in creating a more alluring place to plant one’s roots?
How would Bangor benefit from integrating accessible, citywide technological tools like Google Fiber as some modern U.S. cities already have?
The Bangor 2020 team reported on ways to make the Queen City move livable over the next six years. These are their stories.