I live in Northampton and work in Springfield, so I'm sort of an outsider but I'd like to take a stab at this. When my office moved here, many folks in the office actually expressed fear about moving to Springfield. I remember one person saying she would be afraid to work late and then have to walk across the parking lot to her car. These fears turned out to be unfounded. Are these same unfounded fears keeping businesses from starting here or moving their offices here, or keeping people from visiting to go to the theater or other city attractions? Is outside perception a significant problem for the city?

Which brings me to self-perception. Whatever the self-perception of a place, residents tend to project it, and visitors read it, and then that becomes the basis of outside perception. Which is why this visioning process is so important... It is a first step towards redefining the city's self image about where it is going, who it will be in the future....

Finally, a quick related note about the bus station (and outside perception). For many, the bus station is the first thing they see when they enter the community... I've had a number of visiting guests come through the Springfield bus station, and all have commented that it is a particularly sketchy, scary place indeed. When I have taken the bus, I try to avoid the front, going straight around to the back instead. I had one friend who is transexual ask how to get to the area, and I was afraid to send her through the bus station, so we arranged something else instead. If people don't want to arrive in your community by public transit, you have a problem ... people should feel welcome and safe here! So, in my opinion the bus station should be cleaned up!!! Other communities have safe bus stations!