Indianapolis mayor visits campus

In Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson's eyes, building a city is all about how well its government can sell it.\nPeterson spoke to a half-full crowd Wednesday evening at the Whittenberger Auditorium, as he explained to students how to market a city. The most important steps are providing job opportunities, having a strong economy and a great quality of life for its residents, he said. \n"I like to brag about my city," Peterson said. "But if you want to be a city that is successful, you have to sell your city." \nMostly of business students attended the event, which was co-sponsored by Union Board and Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity.\nThroughout the speech, Peterson outlined several ways he plans to sell Indianapolis to citizens and businesses alike. Though Indianapolis doesn't have the beauty that other cities like San Francisco have, Peterson said his goal is to make Indianapolis an exciting place and to create a buzz around the city.\nPeterson said headquartering the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Indianapolis Colts have helped make his city marketable. The city has also focused on its arts and culture, which has helped attract residents to central Indiana.\n"Ten years ago, people would have laughed if you had said you want to come down to Indianapolis to look at art and culture," Peterson said. "Now we have thousands of people who do it every year. I'm tired of hearing how surprised people are, saying they loved the city after they leave here. I want people to know how great it is before they come down here."\nThe Colts' new stadium will also help create a buzz around the Indianapolis metropolitan area. Peterson said that while the city has improved in other areas, the Colts team is still one of the most important draws.\n"If we lost the Colts, it would be like sending a neon message all across America that Indianapolis is on the decline," Peterson said. "Central Indiana lives and dies upon Indianapolis -- we're dependent upon each other, and it's enhanced by having the Colts."\nPeterson also addressed the possibility of a Super Bowl being held in Indianapolis in the near future. Peterson said he has spoken to the NFL on several occasions and received positive feedback, though the ultimate decision is left to the owners. He said the city is shooting for a Super Bowl in 2011.\n"I don't know if we'll win, but I think we have a very good chance," Peterson said.\nWhile improving the quality of life and entertainment is a large part to making a city successful, Peterson said providing job opportunities is the other half of the puzzle. Indianapolis is home to one of the largest convention centers in the country, which helps draw businesses to the city, Peterson said.\n"You can have this wonderful night life, amenities, sports, neighborhoods -- you can have all that stuff. But if you don't have jobs, people aren't going to come," he said. "We have to have a great diversity in jobs."\nThough Peterson was enthusiastic about the strides the city has made in the last few years, he still addressed the fact that Indianapolis is not a perfect city during the question-and-answer period. He said the city's three main problems were crime, education and public transportation.\nStill, Peterson said he is optimistic for the future and believes Indianapolis has the potential to grow more, as long as he continues to sell the city.\n"This is about building the product because you can't sell effectively if you don't have a good product," Peterson said. "So you need to have the quality product, and we've been working for 40 years to build one"