Blog
The Gender Pay Gap, Happiness, and What it Could Mean for Profits
Posted by Valerie Lightner on June 12, 2013 |
Earlier this week, June 10th, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Equal Pay Act being signed into national law. Women and their influence in the workforce have come a long way since the bill became law, but are women and men’s pay as equal as The Equal Pay Act would suggest?
A recent study released by the National Women’s Law Center has indicated that there are large state-by-state variations on just how wide the gap is between women and men in the same positions. Over the last 50-years the gap has narrowed to a national average of 23 cents for the same positions and comparable qualifications.
Why does equality matter in the workforce? Great ideas could be overlooked because a woman does not feel comfortable or equally compensated in their position and they do not speak out. Women are not likely to succeed if they are not treated as candidates for success.
Innovations and positive company experiences are directly linked to equal treatment and could benefit a company’s profits and customer relations says Tony Hsieh’s new book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and speaker…
Bootstrap Urbanism in Oklahoma City
Posted by Nicholas I. Emenhiser on June 11, 2013 |
Oklahoma City’s urban revival is characterized by a uniquely Oklahoman strive to pull oneself up by the bootstraps. The secret to Oklahoma City’s success is simply empowering grassroots urban pioneers rather than hanging them out to dry.
When pick-up trucks and Spring tornadoes coexist with a network of bike-share racks and arts districts, you have found a flexible formula that deserves a tip of the hat from older east-coast communities that already have a densely-built environment. The classic revitalization conundrum is either finding resources or passionate people but failing to connect the two simultaneously. The revitalization of Oklahoma City’s two major arts districts proves that OKC has been able to make that connection.
Interview: Reid Ewing, Author of Pedestrian and Transit-Oriented Design
Posted by Tara Sturm on May 20, 2013 |
There are many great books you could use to kick off your summer reading—and those of you interested in urban design may be excited to get your hands on Pedestrian and Transit-Oriented Design—a joint project of the American Planning Association and the Urban Land Institute.
The book provides measurable guidance for creating communities that are designed for humans. There are 28 features it promotes as “best practices,” divided into 3 groups—essential (orienting buildings toward the street, without parking in between), highly desirable (closely spaced street trees), and nice additions that may not be essential (“worthwhile” characteristics, public art, water features, etc.).
We were thrilled to get the opportunity to talk with Reid Ewing, a coauthor of the book, to hear his thoughts on the book, on urban design, and how what the book’s topic fits in with the CEOs for Cities mission.
CEOs for Cities: What sets this book apart from others like it today?
Reid Ewing: Others are not nearly as specific, concrete, tangible. This book takes the subject of urban design into the realm of operational guidance. The photos are incredible. There are also…
What signs do – and don’t – tell us about America’s parking
Posted by admin on May 02, 2013 |
What do we really know about parking?
Of everything that the responsible urban planner has to think about, parking can be the most vexing. Incredibly, no one knows how much of it there is in the U.S., which can make it tough to study. Part of the problem is that all parking is local, to paraphrase Tip O’Neil. You can’t borrow one of Albuquerque’s plentiful parking spots when you’re circling the block in Manhattan’s East Village. And although satellites can give us part of the story, it would take an unprecedented nationwide census (on par with the one we conduct of people) to deliver an accurate count...
Livability Rankings in the U.S. and Worldwide
Posted by admin on April 29, 2013 |
A number of entities gives cities in the US and abroad scores for livability based on a variety of criteria. Use these resources to find out how livable your city is!
Civic Data Challenge Launches!
Posted by Tara Sturm on April 11, 2013 |
The Civic Data Challenge is asking community leaders, government officials, developers, coders and all interested citizens to get involved. The first step is to submit an idea through the Challenge website, from April 11 - May 19. This ideation phase is an opportunity to create a collective brainstorm about what tools (apps, websites, videos, and infographics) can be informed by civic data and used to improve a community's civic health. These ideas will inform the parameters of the Challenge and teams will begin building entries to respond May 24 - July 28. Join at www.CivicDataChallenge.org.
City Disrupters
Posted by Lee Fisher on April 10, 2013 |
Our President and CEO, Lee Fisher, talks about how-- and just as importantly--where change happens in today's world, highlighting some of the great disrupters that drive energy and action in our cities.
Interactive Mapping: Tools for Building Community
Posted by magosto on March 13, 2013 |
The growth and popularity of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has led to growth in map availability with increasing ease of use. As more and more people become familiar with GIS programs, they can make maps for recreational uses. Map websites for the public include Greemap.org and Google Maps. Both of these sources allow the public to contribute points of interest to a community map, creating a new visual angle on civic engagement and crowdsourced data...
Lee Fisher Explains the Secret Sauce of City Success
Posted by Tara Sturm on March 12, 2013 |
On March 1, 2013, listeners at the City Club of Cleveland waited eagerly to watch our President and CEO, Lee Fisher, unveil the secret sauce of City Success. You too can discover the recipe of the secret sauce by clicking here or above to watch the video. Enjoy!
Dealing with Dichotomies: Toward Understanding
Posted by Tara Sturm on March 08, 2013 |
Oppositional categories have been in existence throughout all of history: dark vs. light, good vs. evil, male vs. female. In today's world we find many others that cause tension and conflict in ways that drastically affect our cities- from the great political divide to the hotly contested question of density. Our most recent blog post examines the root of all dichotomy, self vs. other, and how breaking down barriers can lead to healthier, more functional cities.