I walked toward the Downtown Farmer’s Market today just in time to see several smartly-dressed students picking up clipboards from a table in the Chess Park and walking toward Brand Blvd.

I stopped to answer the survey myself and learned that Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising students were recruited as volunteers by the city’s Economic Development Department to conduct a survey for the new “Buy Glendale” campaign (discussed in this Glendale News Press Q&A with Development Services Director Philip Lanzafame).

The survey will gather information on perceptions of and visits to downtown Glendale, the Americana, the Glendale Galleria, and the downtown dining, shopping, and entertainment venues.

Figuring out what working people who are already out and about at the lunch hour like about downtown Glendale isn’t likely to increase their numbers in this economic environment. If downtown retail establishments aren’t attracting enough customers to remain profitable, the city should focus its efforts on attracting more high-quality jobs to the area.

Instead of “Buy Glendale” why not “Locate in Glendale”?