The Distinctive City

Posted by Sheila Redick on January 18, 2006

According to economist Joe Cortright, understanding the mix of things that makes your city different and understanding who that appeals to is a key component of building a distinctive, economically vibrant city.

But how does a city capitalize on its distinctiveness and at the same time respond to market demand?

"It's not necessarily a question of responding to the market demand," Joe explained.  "It's often about creating or changing the market demand.  This an argument Jane Jacobs has made for decades, and she is clearly right. Cities are places where people develop new ideas and new ways of thinking and then that changes the marketplace. 

"If you look seriously at any of the important ideas, they have emerged from cities.  The way to think about the connection between markets and distinctiveness is that you can use your distinctiveness to help your city to become a place that generates the new ideas that will fuel your economy and makes your community a more interesting and vibrant place to live, which, over time, contributes to economic growth."