Town Meeting Promotes Direct Citizen Action

Saturday's Berlin Town Meeting, the third in an ongoing series of meetings between City Leaders and the public, was focused on the importance of citizen involvement in city affairs, and on various ways to encourage and promote it. The atmosphere was upbeat and positive, with numerous ideas, suggestions and discussions relevant to the topic.

The meeting opened with a status report from Fr. Jo Yardley. Setting the tone for the rest of the meeting, she said that "Technically the Sim is doing well and all is well, so the only things that need to change are whatever makes daily life in Berlin more fun. More visitors would be great of course but this is not a matter of life and death at the moment. I think much of what can be improved is up to the people themselves to improve." The ensuing conversation focused closely on what things might be accomplished directly by the residents and regular visitors.

"The city is doing very well," Fr Yardley reported. "We are still mostly occupied except for some of the Adlon rooms. The apartments still fly away. Visitor numbers are still good but of course not as busy as I'd like. If it were up to me, the city would be overflowing with people every day." There was a large spike in visitors on May 1st, indicating the popular success of the "Berlin Riots" event. "Our events are great," Yardley opined. "The bicycle race was fantastic. I think most visitors just come around to have a look and shop. But we also get a lot of return visitors from people within the community. We are trying to create more fun for people who are not tenants. And we're working on new jobs for all." She concluded her report with the announcement that the 1920s Berlin Project had been invited to participate in the Second Life 8th Birthday events. "We're having a little plot at the big SL 8 Years Old exhibition. With some luck that will bring us more visitors as well." Statistics on visits may be examined at:  http://www.slsensor.com/stat.php?id=879&timezone=1 .
 
Following Fr. Yardley's report, the meeting was opened for public discussion and a lively and constructive hour followed. A complete transcript of the meeting can be found on the 1920s Berlin Forum at: 

http://www.1920sberlin.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1011 .
 
Some of the highlights are presented here.
 
Zeno McAuley has opened a Talent Agency and is actively seeking performers and entertainers of all sorts for venues thought the city. Prospective talent should contact Herr McAuley directly with their proposal. Although she declined to set a specific date, Fr. Yardley announced that the long vacant El Dorado Club would be opening "soon". "That will make Berlin interesting to a whole new group of people," she explained.

Given the higher level of engagement of residents, and the persistent shortage of available housing, Alf Korhonen asked it it was possible to create more flat-type living spaces. "We are short on prims," Yardley responded. "Some of the buildings are build to 'grow' but without prims. We're at about 400 prims and still need some stuff. But Mesh is coming in July! I hope I can rebuild some stuff in Berlin with Mesh and thus free up prims. So who knows, we MAY get more prims after rebuilding some things. I'd sooner add a few low prim cheap hotel rooms to give people a place to stay then to build another region."

Several attendees suggested sports matches as a way to attract visitors. Football, boxing, swimming meets and races of various sorts were proposed - possibly playing teams from other, historically similar Sims. Other suggestions included more museum exhibits, better use of the waterways to hold regattas and social events on the boats and barges. "I think the issue is not that we don't have enough ideas but that I don't have enough time," Fr. Yardley responded. "People in Berlin can organise events. Just check with me first and I'll let you go for it. I should send a notecard to everyone letting people know that they are more then welcome to set up events, crazy roleplay, etc."

A suggestion to expand the number of "happy hour" events at Der Keller provoked a good deal of discussion. "I love the idea of more happy hours," Fr Yardly concluded. "Or at least more activity in Der Keller." The problem of wide variance in Time Zones seemed to argue for multiple Keller events. But Fr. Yardly also proposed starting a number of regular "mini-events" - regular times where people could gather  and socialize - at other locales. Morning coffee or lunchtime at the Elektric Cafe, afternoon tea at the Adlon, etc.

In response to comments that most of the city's shops and businesses were normally entirely deserted, Fr Yardley announced that a program was being developed to encourage people to spend time working in exchange for a "scrip" that could then be exchanged in various shops for items of interest or value. A sort of "Linden free" currency.

Frl. Rosemary Thyme suggested that people simply get themselves out of their homes and spend more time about the city. "Don't hide indoors so much," she said. "Go out on the streets." This inspired Frl. Ceinwen Roberts to comment on the need for benches in public areas to encourage people to linger and socialize. Fr. Yardly committed to see that some were installed as soon as possible.(Several appeared on the Unter den Linden and Alexanderplatz by Sunday morning.)
 
Fr. Jaidiov asked what the single, most important thing that needed to be accomplished might be and, in response, Fr Yardley reiterated that she believed it was the citizens of the City taking on more responsibility themselves to make Berlin a more exciting place to live, work and socialize. "I think many people don't know how many options there actually are," she said. "It is your city just as much as it is mine. And everything here is to be used. Do you want to start a certain roleplay about a trial? The court house is there, let me know and go for it. Do you want to set your house on fire? Let me know and go for it. Anyone can organize a class at the schoolhouse. Also remember that in the 1920s people were more social; they would have chats with strangers in the street, unlike most modern people."

After the meeting concluded, Fr. Yardley released an additional statement summarizing the results and the steps that the City would be taking to implement many of the suggestions. "We are going to ask people to try and do more. To take the initiative. If you have an idea or plan, if you want to use Berlin for something, go for it! A notecard will be sent around explaining that people in Berlin have a lot more freedom to organize something than they may think they do, and that (after asking permission to ensure that the proposal fits into the historical theme of the place) they can set up events, sporting matches, races,  classes and parties in the city. The only reason we don't have more events is that I am rather busy!"