The Livability Challenge

Imagine a city where every citizen can enjoy beauty in the form of art, good design and nature every day. Where an investment in the community’s parks, artistic expression and architecture for the ages is considered a smart value-add for everyone.  Where citizens’ attachment to their community is solidified by the pride they feel in their community’s aesthetics.

Although it has not always been easy to measure the impact of such quality of life amenities as parks, art and first-rate architecture and public places, it is increasingly clear that investments in these things have powerful positive effects on cities and their citizens. 

In addition to providing places of respite and recreation, green space has positive, measurable impacts on adjacent property values.  The sales premium on property within 100 feet of a park of any size is 24 percent.  Green space also enhances storm water management and keeps cities cooler.  When arts are ever-present, they encourage participation, which leads to a flywheel of other positive spin-offs, including more creative people who then attract more creative people, making places more interesting and diverse.  And the best architecture and design creates places that people love, places they want to live in, visit and come back to.

Inspiring places are magnets for people. Cities are increasingly being judged by their “quality of place,” as Americans choose the places they want to live based, in part, on their physical appeal and their vibrancy.

Investing in beauty, nature and art are among the most significant demonstrations a city can make about its distinctiveness – the unique and often intangible characteristics of a place that build attachment among a city’s residents.  And communities with the greatest levels of attachment experience higher economic growth.

We can enjoy art, good design and nature every day.

Imagine a community taking up the challenge to make art, good design and nature available to every citizen every day.  What would full engagement look like?  What would be an effective quick start strategy?  Where are the early wins to create momentum?  And how would a community know when it is succeeding?

We began this critical conversation on the future at the Livability Challenge in Indianapolis, home of the spectacular Indianapolis Cultural Trail.  Together with the Central Indiana Community Foundation and Indianapolis Downtown Inc, CEOs for Cities convened national experts and local leaders to generate big ideas for how cities can provide ever-present access to art, good design and nature.

The Livability Challenge was made possible by generous support from The Rockefeller Foundation.