You Can Only Take So Much Away

Posted by Sheila Redick on December 31, 2005

Charles Davis is a New Orleanian displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He told Newsweek 12.26.05) that he was already looking forward to Mardi Gras. "'You can only take so much away from a New Orleanian,' he says. 'One thing you can't take away is Mardi Gras. It's part of our social fabric.'"

What can not be taken away from the citizens of your city? What is it about their town that they are unwilling to part with?

As Americans become more mobile than ever -- especially young adults and aging boomers, many of whom shuttle between two and three homes -- the presence of strong cultural traditions can be a key factor in creating the love affair you want your citizens to have with their city.