RALEIGH - If you're organizing a big conference or convention, would you pick Raleigh as the destination city? As we prepare to open our new convention center it is an important question.

To answer, try this: Compare Raleigh to another city.

For example, I recently spoke at a conference in Baltimore. Both Raleigh and Baltimore are on the East Coast and both have fewer than a million residents, so it's a fair comparison.

Stepping out of my hotel in Baltimore, I found myself at the Inner Harbor. Visitors can explore an unbelievable aquarium, climb aboard six different ships, stroll past street performers and dine in dozens of restaurants. Within walking distance are two stadiums and a huge train museum. There's shopping everywhere you look. From a visitor's standpoint, Baltimore is fantastic.

Now think about Raleigh. If you are invited to a convention in our fair city, would you get excited?

To find out I tried this experiment. Upon landing at RDU, I went to the airport's visitor desk, pretending to be an out-of-town guest. I asked the man behind the counter what I had to see while in town.

Seattle has the Space Needle. St. Louis has the Arch. What about Raleigh?

"Well, there are some trails at Umstead Park that are nice."

That was his actual response!

What should we do to change things? We can create a big, impressive theme that makes visitors want to come to Raleigh. Then we build a destination city around that theme. Vegas has gambling. Orlando has amusement parks. What is Raleigh's theme?

My proposal: "Raleigh -- City of the Future."

Given that we already have RTP and the universities, the theme has some credibility, and it would be unique. Plus, this theme really captures the imagination.

How do we demonstrate that we are the City of the Future? We could start with a real rapid transit system.

No, I am not talking about the clunky diesel trains that we've been contemplating for more than a decade. Diesel is an ancient, dirty technology and terrifyingly uncool. What we need is something like a monorail system. The latest thing is small electric cabs running silently overhead (See http://marshallbrain.com/raleigh for details).

A monorail system would make a huge impression on visitors. It also solves one of Raleigh's biggest problems -- there are things to do here, but they are spread out.

A monorail system would let us tie together the civic center, the big shopping malls, the art museum, the restaurant islands, our stadiums, the fairgrounds, the big hotels, the colleges and universities, Umstead, the greenways, the airport, etc. The monorail makes everything in the city easily accessible for everyone.

What else would the City of the Future have? Would it generate electricity with clean, carbon-free technology? Of course. And we already have that in the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant. Add big solar panels downtown that visitors can see, and explain how they work. Make it an attraction.

Would the City of the Future have traffic jams? Obviously not. So we think hard, get creative and eliminate that problem. The monorail might go a long way toward a solution.

Would the City of the Future have a landfill? No. We would recycle and reuse everything. Why not think about the possibility?

What would entertainment look like? Recreation? What if we took the land from Moore Square, City Market and a couple of adjacent blocks and put in something startling that fit the theme? What about a man-made river surrounded by walking paths, restaurants and shopping, with the feel of Broadway At The Beach in Myrtle Beach?

There are many other ways to build the futuristic impression. On the gateway roads leading to Raleigh we can place giant sculptures. Have you seen the three rings at the N.C. Museum of Art? They would make a great symbol. Let people drive through huge, stainless steel rings when they enter Raleigh. Echo the rings at strategic points around town. Welcome people to the City of the Future with something that makes an impression.

By calling Raleigh the City of the Future, we start to think creatively. By building with the theme in mind, we create a cohesive destination that excites visitors. Imagine Disney World scaled up to encompass a full city. Could Raleigh be that cool and interesting?

Why not?

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