This Denton City Council is increasingly fond of the idea of writing big checks to attract new companies that may have no enduring attachment to Denton and who will happily leave and go wherever and whenever a bigger check is written.

This is what I would call the Auction theory of economic development. The highest bid is what determines the winner. Auction theory folks advocate a multimillion-dollar “catalyst fund” so we can “compete” with the likes of Frisco in the dollar amount of the bids we make.

This is a great strategy if you’re the richest player and have the biggest bank account. But we’re not, and we don’t. So what can Denton do?

I favor the Oasis approach over the Auction approach.

The idea is we build on Denton’s unique wellsprings of difference to make us such a demonstrably more appealing place to live and work that it draws appealing candidates our way — to our oasis if you will, across the vast empty vista of sandy suburban sameness in the region — the center-less, identity-less miles of strip malls of the same national chains.

Under the Oasis approach, we would raise our existing special qualities — our quality of life — to a stellar level: our performing arts, the resources we can offer a creative workforce, our uniquely diverse array of inventive local small businesses, our green space, even our commitment to sustainability. Quality-of-life issues can be powerful. They attracted PayPal to Austin and Nissan to Nashville.

This council is already showing great resolve to fund sustainability — good in its own right and excellent for making Denton a standout to companies who share that value. We are already committed to offsetting 100% of our energy demand with renewable contracts. Now they should be able to make a real dent in areas like electrifying the city fleet, weatherizing on a headline-making scale, pinpointing sources of particulates and expanding solar capture. Just hearing about it makes you want to be associated with Denton.

We have excellent opportunities to build our profile in the arts — with two distinctive performance venues waiting to be resuscitated right on our lively Square. And wouldn’t a venue for bigger acts — a covered amphitheater within a large park, say — be a natural for Denton and be an on-target regional draw? I first heard that idea from former Mayor Chris Watts. I hope he continues to advocate for it. Wouldn’t it be great if a local university collaborated with the city on any of these?

How about finishing the job bringing the area south of the Square out of the floodplain so more great live/work/play spaces can be built, with more places for small businesses to thrive, extending the experience of the Square? Talk about a catalyst!

We have an admirable official goal stating that we want everyone to live within a 10-minute walk of a park. That would certainly make us stand out. The reality is that less than half of Dentonites do now. That compares with 59% for Frisco and 67% for Lewisville. When last measured, we had 8.15 acres of developed parkland per 1,000 people. The national median for cities our size is 8.9. That’s the middle, not the exceptional. Lewisville is at 12.8, Plano at 15. We have visionary master plans for parks and trails already approved by council that would make Denton a green mecca. Wouldn’t funding those plans give our development folks some talking points?

We could make strategic investments in lighting up dark fiber, to give another “reason why” to creative entrepreneurs in artificial intelligence and other data-intensive pursuits.

Every idea raised here adds value and appeal to Denton. And whichever businesses come or go — here’s the key — the value stays here, making Denton an ever more attractive oasis.

You may say how frivolous. What kind of a hard-nosed employer would move to a city because it has a flourishing performing arts and small-business scene, or great stretches of parkland connected by trails or a demonstrated commitment to sustainability?

I say exactly the kind we’d like to have here.

PAUL MELTZER is a former new product executive and two-term Denton City Council member.