Out of the ashes

All Cities are fighting (ATLEAST THEY SHOULD BE!) to retain and attract the millennial generation (Born after 1980). From my perspective, some places are on fire when it comes to this generation; the State of North Carolina, parts of South Carolina (Charleston), Austin, Denver, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio just to name a few. This group of people tend to be mobile and armed with superior technology. This is an advantage the Millennials will have over the past generations. They stay connected (online) and share with their (social) network the good and bad of the places they live or visit.  One question, are you #trending as "the place to be"? This is important because this generation is choosing where they want to live and make an impact first, then finding a job. So what are they looking for in a City?

One word: Walkability

Two words: Cultural Arts

Three words: Great Urban Environment

It’s hard to retain, let alone attract, people who want the option of walking when your downtowns are built for cars. It’s sad, but today we build our downtowns for cars. I was recently reading a story that stated almost 75% of the cities surveyed said that their on-site parking requirements were one of the biggest impediments to downtown development. Right or wrong, I would say that my City has many that feel the same way. Look at parts of Cincinnati and many of the cities along Long Island that have successfully re-energized their downtowns by limiting parking rather than maximizing it. The goal was to encourage walkability thus increasing the likelihood of retail success and creating a greater sense of place and identity.

Final Thought. Those of us who have been charged with leading our cities out of the ashes must be willing to make the hard decisions and recommendations, and be willing to accept the stress that comes with the job of fighting to be the best City we can be. It starts with winning this generation. We will have to refuse to accept anybody’s negative premise about our city and always be an advocate. If I have anything to do with it my city will be #trending #smile :)