The Talent Dividend is being embraced by local and state-wide leadership in Tulsa, OK, as evidenced by the participation of Kathy Taylor, former mayor and current chief of education strategy and innovation for Governor Brad Henry and Tom McKeon, president of Tulsa Community College during a more

Carol Coletta stopped by to talk with The Real Story during the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco in early June. During the interview, Carol suggests that the image of the American Dream has to be reworked because the underpinnings of… more

Regional economic growth is highly correlated with the presence of many small, entrepreneurial employers not a few big ones, according to a new analysis by Harvard professors Ed Glaeser and William Kerr.  Reported in the latest Harvard Business Review, the analysis found "that cities whose number of 'firms per worker'… more

With the release of a new white paper, Transportation for America offers its recommendations for the Kerry-Lieberman climate bill and suggests we re-focus on smart growth strategies that create compact, walkable communities that provide residents with the ability to meet their daily needs with fewer and shorter car trips.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that biking and walking trips have increased 25 percent since 2001. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is using the increase to continue his push for safe alternatives to driving. 

"By making biking and walking safer and more accessible, we’ll be able to provide Americans… more

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Special Report on the city's urgent need for talent adds fuel to the Talent Dividend fire.  As the article points out the Milwaukee region as a whole has an average college attainment rate when compared to the largest 50 metropolitan regions, however… more

In The American (the Journal of the American Enterprise Institute), Ryan Streeter calls out the danger of outmoded political thinking that places cities solely on the agenda of the left. He offers three reasons:

1. First, cities rather than states will increasingly drive national economies. States that recognize this… more

Caroline Altman Smith of The Kresge Foundation stresses the critical importance of increasing college attainment and offers cities as the solution in her Council on Foundations blog post. "If cities do get serious, creative and collaborative about achieving the Talent Dividend, the collective effects could be… more

James Chung of Reach Advisors had a big message for the Pacific Coast Builders Conference today:  There is a serious mismatch between trade up housing inventory and demand.  One reason is changing demographics.  The peak age for trade up is 46, and Boomers have now passed that age.  The next… more

Kudos to Chicago Transit Authority.  CTA invited citizens to "adopt a station," and they responded by painting L stations.  Bryn Mawr and Granville on the Red Line got the makeovers.  Let's hope we see lots more of this as city budgets continue to be pinched in these tough times. … more

Artists in residence to make and sell higher quality souvenirs to visitors.  As a native Memphian who has seen her share of velvet Elvis portraits (and every variation on this theme you can imagine), this appeals to me at many levels.  So I am sharing it with you.

For its… more