Why 'River District'? | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

In two recent articles, The Salt Lake Tribune has used the name "River District" as a substitute term for Salt Lake City's West Side.

As someone who grew up and now lives on the West Side, the renaming was news to me. And it left me with questions that The Tribune failed to address before passing on this name as though its use were both settled and regular:

When did the residents and other stakeholders in Glendale, Poplar Grove, Euclid, Jackson and Fairpark collectively decide to accept the name "River District"? Did they agree at all?

Did each of the community councils for those neighborhoods decide to be part of this rebranding, and, if so, was any public input was solicited in the discussion? Why is a rebranding is even necessary to revitalizing? There are neighborhoods across the country that did fine with the names they had.

Moreover: Whose idea is this? Why did they start it? Are they residents? To who are they connected who might benefit from this rebranding?

I found many of these answers. The Tribune needs to find them, too. And report them.

Jeff Dixon

Salt Lake City