L A W R E N C E    G O L D B L A T T ,  Registered Architect, Certified Planner

A R C H I T E C T U R E    P L A N N I N G    D E V E L O P M E N T

 4200 Mercier , Kansas City , Missouri   6 4 111  ph  8 1 6 . 7 5 6  3 6 3 3  fax: 8 1 6.  7 5 6  0 0 6 6

    e:  LGOLDARCH@aol.com

 For Release Only to Newspaper Editors and Publishers, October, 2008

ARCHITECT SEEKS TO PROVE PEOPLE CAN BUILD COMMUNITIES

 SAYS GROWING YOUR TOWN STARTS WITH YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER! 

 YOUR NEWSPAPER IS A PLACE FOR READERS TO START BUILDING OR INFLUENCING THEIR COMMUNITIES. AN EXPERIENCED ARCHITECT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPER SHARES PRACTICAL METHODS FOR STIMULATING NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY GROWTH. YOUR NEWSPAPER IS INVITED TO FACILITATE THE REINVENTION OF YOUR COMMUNITY!

Architect, planner, and developer Lawrence Goldblatt, owner of his own 30 year old Kansas City based firm, believes our communities have a rich potential for life. In his work, he has developed plans for areas helping invite people to turn their dreams into reality. He has shown how one key action, sometimes at a small scale, can trigger a series of other actions.

Many years ago, a small building on the east side of Kansas City was threatened with collapse, and demolition. He drew plans, presented them to the City, people rallied, money was found, and the Federal government designated the Mutual Musicians Foundation as a National Landmark. As a result, the elected officials were forced to create a Jazz District. Then came a theater, the American Jazz Museum , and now hundreds of apartments.

Goldblatt's firm, and its many clients and affiliates, are inviting residents with an interest in their own communities to prove the point that individual action can build healthy communities. For many years, engaged residents have tried to better their homes and businesses, and neighborhoods, but have not had a place to get answers to their practical questions about how the system works. They have needed an affordable and inventive workshop where they could share their gathered information, express their goals, and form teams to initiative results.

 Have Individual Actions Lost Relevancy?

 We at FutureNowUs.com don’t think so.

 Have Communities Lost Their Ability To Rejuvenate Themselves?

 We at FutureNowUs.com don’t think so.

 Can Individuals Play A Measurable Role In The Rejuvenation Of Community?

 We at FutureNowUs.com DO think so.

Our weekly column in your newspaper engages your readers to look at their community. They learn how to learn how their community is changing. They learn how it can be changed.

They are stimulated to see they can make changes which affect their affect their daily lives.

 HERE IS HOW WE WORK WITH YOUR NEWSPAPER:

The newspaper editor picks a building, a development topic or a question that they feel is important to their readers and advertisers. They should try and tie the topic to something that has been in their local news or editorials. Or, they can encourage readers to send in ideas to your website (or one we will link to yours) for this purpose.

We need digital photos, a copy of news articles or editorials written on the topic and the name of a key proponent or opponent of the issue. We select from among the submissions, and write the weekly column response based on what we research. You print the column ideally in your print edition; if not, place a visual and inviting invitation for the reader to jump back to your website to enter your newspaper's Design Center.

We may use all, some, or none of the leads you provide, depending on the flow of material and our ability to extract general interest from each local issue. You can offer to your readers that they submit their questions about buildings, a city policy, permits, some issue related to the growth of their community.

Periodically, we offer proprietary special issue discussions which your newspaper can use to build local awareness of an issue (say, a new comprehensive plan for the town), which creates for the newspaper the opportunity to sell special advertising opportunities.

We also offer a roundtable discussion, which can be web based or real time. The newspaper brings in key citizens to its offices, and through a video link, we all participate in a discussion about the topic. We then write a response which either then can take into further dialog, or we use it for a later broadcast. 

WHAT IS ACCOMPLISHED?

The newspaper readers learn their community can be changed. They learn how to look at what is around them, and see opportunities for growth. The mysteries of building new, restoring old, of finding the richness and overlooked value in their neighborhoods are unveiled.

The newspaper readers become engaged with the newspaper’s ideas, through the column, for communities like theirs. They see there is reason for hope and there are steps that can turn hope into change. They see their newspaper as a source of ideas, and answers. The column becomes an advertisement for their own dream making. Because the column occurs in such a public place, the local newspaper, the community sees and hears itself talking about steps that they can do themselves. They absorb stories of successes by people like themselves.

On occasion, we will develop story ideas which are “breaking news”. These may be drawn from the case studies our affiliate newspapers send in, or our own case studies, but stay within the general idea of an improved community.

SAMPLE COLUMNS:

 Please request a sample column, one of a series published in the Kansas City Business Journal from 1986 through 1991. We can send more multiple samples if you would like.

See contact us below.

SAMPLE DESIGN CENTER ELEMENTS ON YOUR WEBSITE:

Go to the Sample Design page and see some of the elements that can be included on your own Design Center page, on your website.

TO APPLY FOR AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE EXCLUSIVE LICENSE FOR A NEWSPAPER DESIGN CENTER IN YOUR MARKET AREA:

Go here.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

 contact Larry 

copyright #TXu001115410, Lawrence Goldblatt, 18 March, 2008