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Our illustrious leader went abroad this week to confer with the head of a foreign nation. Well, actually Hickenlooper didn’t go that far. He went to Sacramento to chat with Sacramento’s mayor, Kevin Johnson. Did you know that Sacramento is “almost a sister city” to Denver? Hickenlooper says so. It turns out that Denver is a big sister to Sacramento, providing little sister Sacramento with a role model to follow. I told you Denver is the best place in the world to live.
The fascinating thing about Hickenlooper’s and Johnson’s discussion was that they had so much to say about space. I love watching politicians discover that the same principles you and I use in everyday life, like the Feng Shui strategies we use to declutter and organize our homes and set up our living rooms, can also be applied to public life, such as when officials are making decisions about how to organize large public spaces. Hickenlooper explained to Johnson that Sacramento could revitalize its downtown area by copying the decisions about space that Denver has made.
Just like the space in my living room, where I try to keep clutter at a minimum so traffic can freely flow around the coffee table, Hickenlooper notes that Denver’s traffic flows freely — especially now that we fill every pot hole within 24 hours (he said it, I didn’t) and are building the new Denver Union Station. Just like my living room, which abounds in designated places to play — cozy chairs to read in, a train table for the kids, a place to put your feet up and relax — Denver has designated play areas, Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, Invesco Field, our museums, concert halls, restaurants. There is a place for everything and everything in its place. The space is warm (it’s a metaphor, I know it’s freezing outside, work with me here) and inviting. I give people advice like this every day when they ask me how to declutter and figure out what should go where. (Hey, maybe I should run for Governor!)
It’s good to know that even if Sacramento copies our downtown, it will never be Denver. Hickenlooper should keep that in mind now that he’s campaigning for governor — and yes, our leader’s speech did sound suspiciously like something he might be recording for a future television ad. Um, Mr. Mayor, the votes are here in Colorado. Just so you know. Even if Sacramento does manage to turn into a Denver clone. But Johnson promised us, “We don’t want to be Denver. We want to take the things that Denver is doing well.” He just wants to put Sacramento at the top of the list of Americans’ favorite cities — a spot Denver frequently holds.
Now, doesn’t that make you feel proud?
Tags: declutter, Denver, Hickenlooper, Kevin Johnson, Sacramento, sister city, space