It’s ironic that
the Public Relations Princess just wrote a blog entry on What
Des Moines Iowa Needs. I’ve been thinking for some time about what makes a great city—especially since I made the decision to relocate out of
Minneapolis-St. Paul. Claire’s column is prompting me to share my own thoughts on what makes a great city. My next entry will focus on why I chose Des Moines as my next home and how I think it measures up.
1.
Distinctive identity. Every great or growing city in the world has a unique character. Even “upstart” cities like
Austin and
Nashville carve out an element that makes them noticeably different from anywhere else. All great and growing cities welcome everyone but they don’t try to be everything to everyone.
2.
Architecture or other scenic beauty. People are attracted to icons and the outdoors. They inspire us, relax us, and help define us. Check out Paul Goldberger's book
Why Architecture Matters for more thoughts on this element.
3.
Parks, trails and wide sidewalks. Animals of every kind need room to roam. Even if you don’t know all your neighbors, at least seeing them helps you feel like you belong and creates a sense of energy. Sidewalks get people strolling through their neighborhoods and that gets people feeling connected and secure. Sidewalks that aren’t wide enough for two are sidewalks that are difficult to navigate. That brings fewer able-bodied people out and keeps the less physically able stuck in their home or apartment.
4.
Strong, distinct neighborhoods. Cities can swallow people up. Suburbs can devolve into character-free rows of tract homes. Strong, distinct neighborhoods create the sense of community, identity, and safety that make a place livable and enjoyable.
5.
Convenient public transportation including rail. Busses should run at least 18 hours a day on core routes to move the people who can’t or don’t want to drive but actually make the city work. They also have some type of rail system that helps manage freeway congestion and help draw into the core city the middle and upper economic rungs of people who perceive busses as unsafe or too time-consuming. Sunset cities—those that “roll up the sidewalks” when the sun goes down—soon die.
6.
Livability retail in the core city. When you have a critical mass of people living in the core city your whole metro thrives. To live in the core you need places to buy and do the things you need to live day-to-day. This means you need a
Target or
Wal-Mart style store, a pharmacy, a hardware store, and places to get breakfast and dinner seven days a week. Croissants at Starbucks don’t count as a breakfast restaurant.
7.
Arts and Culture. One of the great strengths of my current home is an amazing arts and culture scene. Even if you’re not an arts and culture person these venues attract the Creative Class that makes a community vibrant.
8.
Sports—preferably professional. Love sports or hate them they bring visibility on the national stage and they help create a common identity. That visibility and identity get you on the emotional map that puts you on the short list for bean counters to consider when (re)locating their businesses. A set of professional sports or a strong Division I sports presence does that.
9.
A stable, growing core industry. Cities that rely on one industry (e.g.,
Detroit or the old versions of
Pittsburgh or
Seattle) spell trouble. A core industry that’s better than anyone else’s is critical, and then wrap it in either a diversified economy or a recession-proof economy (e.g., the
Madison, Wisconsin model of a major research university and the home of state government).
10.
Perceived good schools. However you define “good schools” is irrelevant. As long as both prospective and current residents and businesses perceive a good school system you’re fine. The truism of today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and the perceived quality of the school speaks directly to whether you see an area as growing, surviving or dying. If people think your school system is poor or average all the statistics in the world to the contrary won’t matter.
11.
Safe nightlife and sporting events. Even “rough” cities like New York keep the middle and upper classes safe in the major nightlife areas and at sporting events. Do people in the lower economic classes matter? Absolutely—and more than they’re given credit for. The reality, though, is the middle and upper economic classes who drive job creation will not live or work where they don’t feel completely safe. It’s another reason businesses and the people who drive the economy keep moving further and further out from the core city.
12.
Unique restaurants and retail. We all love to eat and almost all of us love to shop for at least something--whether it's handbags or hunting supplies. If your retail is the same as my retail why would I bother to live or shop there as opposed to wherever I already live.
13.
Pride and honesty.
New York is my quintessential model. They will grip and scream like there’s no tomorrow about what a horrible city New York is. Then they’ll shred you like a mother bear defending her cub if you attack it. They know what New York is and isn’t and they don’t apologize for it.
14.
A research university. Research universities bring young adults who bring energy and creativity. They also spawn business innovation and leaders. Here’s the other key: the university needs to be IN the city to matter. Within 30 miles can still make a difference for business growth, but the real impact to growth and character comes when the university is part of the core city.
15.
A strong core city. The apple core metaphor is apt. When the core city/cities and the suburbs fight each other or try to ignore each other they’ll never reach full potential. This is not a criticism of the suburbs and why they so often want to stay distinct. In a global economy division damages us all.
16.
Water. With a few exceptions most vibrant cities have a large river or lake in their midst. Again, the key is that they are IN the city. Ideally they should support pleasure craft as a way to bring people together. If not, they need to be large enough to support barge traffic or cruise ships so they add to the economy.
17.
Relocation support. I’m amazed by how many cities I look at who make it SO hard for you to find out what the city is like to live in, what it costs to live there, or how to find the support services you need to choose where to live in the city and actually make the move. If someone has to work at it they probably aren’t going to do it—unless the relocation is compelled by the relocation of their job.
18.
Philanthropy. Philanthropy is a great barometer for how invested a community is in itself and how much it believes a better future lies ahead. People who aren’t invested in their community are people who either leave or become a tax burden on their community.
19.
Affordable, varied housing stock. For core cities to keep and attract the working class that make a city work and the families that keep a city stable and safe you need affordable and varied housing. The overlooked factor here is the three bedroom, two-bath or larger, two car garage home that most families want these days.
Related links:
Creative Class map:
City Personality Map:
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