Saturday, July 4, 2009

#51 OUR FIRST STORE* (revised 6/6) "why tulsa?" part three



Is there a “pride of ownership" in Tulsa and surrounding towns?
Is gardening an active pursuit as part of this pride of ownership?


Pride of ownership is a key element for locating a green garden gates. It is not economical to invest in cities and towns where the residents or businesses are transient and do not have his pride. If gardening is not a part of the life of the community, we cannot rely on a profitable future with our stores.



Tulsa has a dual identity of the Midwestern “can do” spirit and the quiet enduring elegance of the South. Pride in ownership is evident in buildings; residential, commercial and manufacturing. Parks and community areas are well maintained with order and dignity. Older sections of the city have been re-vitalized. New developments are upscale and appealing. Tulsa, as a result of the “boom and bust” economy of its roots as “the oil city” has numbers of estates and large homes interspersed in areas of the city. Business and residential districts within the city are named.

Residents and business owners within those districts are active in keeping the vitality of those districts. 92% of the housing units in Tulsa are occupied. 56% of the housing units were owner occupied compared the national average of 44%, Unique and beautiful architecture abounds in Tulsa. Tulsa is the third city within the United States with the largest number of art deco buildings after Chicago and New York City. Tulsa has pride in ownership. Tulsa has the second, third and fourth tallest buildings in the state. The latest icon building to be constructed is the BOK center that was designed by famed architect, Cesar Pelli, the creator of the famous Petronas Towers in Malaysia. The city continues to shine as when Time Magazine in the 1950's dubbed Tulsa as "America's most beautiful city"



Gardening, growing plants, and landscaping play an important roll in the pride in ownership of Tulsa and Tulsa County. The daily newspaper, The Tulsa World, features up to four gardening column writers in their offering. The Sunday edition is alive with garden articles. There are a number of show and test gardens in the city. The master gardener organization is large and diverse. There is located on an older residential estate, a community non-profit informational and demonstration “garden center” staffed by hundreds of volunteers year round for help and advice to the residents. Plants and plant care are part of the city of Tulsa and the surrounding county. In addition, Tulsa residents have been actively supporting sustainable and locally grown food in the community. That commitment has and will continue to encourage community food gardens in areas around the city. The commercial and industrial businesses keep maintained and consistently upgrade their landscaping features of the building and grounds. Landscape maintanence and construction companies are numerous, active and profitable.


What is the age range of the people of Tulsa?



Age plays a large role in the decision to locate a green garden gates. We are interested in a population of older stable residents with larger discretionary incomes as well as families starting new homes in the area. Our stores will fail if we do not have these groups as customers
. The balance of men to women in the area also is important. Women are major customers of garden stores and their presence and ability to purchase is extremely important.


The total population of married couples in Tulsa is 53% of the population. 52% of the total population is female, 48% is male. 45% if the population is in the age range of 18 to 44 while 22% were ages 45 to 64. This means that nearly half of the population in the Tulsa area could be in the process of landscaping and upgrading new and existing homes, with large purchases of trees and shrubs while 22% of the residents may be maintaining their existing homes with smaller but most likely higher ticket plants at the garden stores.


What are the education levels and educational opportunities of the residents of Tulsa?



On the surface, gardening does not seem to be a terribly sophisticated pastime; throw down a few seeds, water and hoe. But in reality, successful gardening and landscaping takes a person who has curiosity, perseverance, and pride in his or her work, as well as the ability to explore and research. We like the gardeners whatever their levels of education or sophistication but we need a population of higher educational levels to grow green garden gates



Tulsa is blessed with 15 institutions of higher learning. University of Tulsa is ranked in the top ten of colleges where students are the happiest in their quality of life and their relationship with their community. The University of Oklahoma branch campus offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Oklahoma State University's branch Tulsa campus offers among other programs, a college of osteopathic medicine and a center for health sciences. There is a major school of aeronautics in Tulsa as well. The Tulsa Vocational Center is the oldest and largest vocational center in the state. Tulsa Community College operates four campuses across the city.


There are three public school districts in the system, with nine high schools. Booker T. Washington high school has been judged to be the 65th best school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine. There are a number of Catholic and religious schools and colleges in the Tulsa market. 84% of the population as a high school diploma compared to the national average of 80%. 71,000 people in Tulsa have a bachelor's degree or higher, 29% of the population compared to the national average of 24%.


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