Everyone concerned about the future of Oshkosh should take a look at the First Impressions Report (in pdf) produced by the UW Extension. As reported in the Northwestern, last Fall LaCrosse and Oshkosh sent anonymous teams to each others' city to offer feedback on a range of quality of life issues. The First Impressions report says some nice things about our town, but the dominant picture is of an Oshkosh with a dreary downtown, a dilapidated infrastructure, and service that runs the gamut from enthusiastic and pleasant to rude and unhelpful.
The Northwestern editorialized that the Report is just one tool, but "a great tool in helping Oshkosh residents and leaders independently assess and address the eye sores that we easily overlook. We may program ourselves to look past these blights, but they are eye sores and drawbacks that may require a little faster, more serious investment and attention in town."
Will the First Impressions Report provoke some meaningful changes in Oshkosh planning and development? Local citizens who for years have made the same observations as those in the report have for the most part felt ignored or put down as "too negative." Maybe it will be more difficult to ignore a group of outside observers.
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