Columbus: The Large

The final of my three posts about our trip to Columbus touches on the large vision of the city, and in so doing reflects to my original post, Columbus: The Intentional. In addition to creating an environment that can inspire personal reflection and creativity, the city leaders have clear been led by notions of connection. One architect would look at other buildings and try to design another that complemented the surrounding area. Nowhere could you find lock-step uniformity, yet everywhere you could see complementarity, and this seemed to be part of a larger vision for the entire city. The focus of city leaders through the years has unquestionably been forward and outward...forward to the future and outward to other people, designers, aspects of the city, etc.

Where do you see the Columbus vision reflected or decidedly not reflected in Indianapolis, in surrounding communities, elsewhere in Indiana, or in the United States? What kind of leadership is required to cast and realize such vision? What kind of citizenry is required to support and not to hinder such efforts?