Entries tagged with Cities
The Wellbeing of Cities
May 20, 2010
The results of a recent Gallup poll show that adults living in large metropolitan areas score better than their counterparts in small towns and rural areas.
Big city residents had lower incidences of smoking, obesity, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure, while also demonstrating more visits to the dentist…
Spill, Baby, Spill
May 18, 2010
Last week on Urban Omnibus, Vishaan Chakrabarti penned an exceptional essay on the impact of unchecked materialism on the future of American leadership and prosperity.
With his timely, tongue-in-cheek title, “Spill, Baby, Spill,” Chakrabarti unflinchingly blames America's lack of self-discipline and introspection for its oil dependency, sprawl and…
What Is the Great Reset?
May 3, 2010
Last week, Richard Florida explained to Smart City why he believes the economic crash will change our entire way of life in America. It is the premise of his newest book, The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity. Just as suburbanization propelled…
The Michigan Prosperity Agenda
March 30, 2010
The Michigan Prosperity Agenda is a monthly radio show that focuses on how to make Michigan communities better places to live, work and play.
The topic of the March episode was the role of talent in placemaking, and our President and CEO Carol Coletta was an invited guest.…
What Makes a City Entrepreneurial?
March 15, 2010
This is the subject of a recent policy brief by Ed Glaeser and William Kerr. Published by the Rappaport Institute/Taubman Center, the brief links entrepreneurship and regional economic growth. And to encourage entrepreneurship, the authors have four pieces of advice for urban leaders:
(1) Investing…
Growing a Talent Dividend
February 24, 2010
While public officials at all levels of government continue to consider a myriad of short-term economic recovery solutions, our President and CEO Carol Coletta, together with regional PNC Financial Services president Beth Wnuck, proposes a more patient and lasting response this week on
Talent and Urban Vitality
January 28, 2010
This great video features our colleague and Senior Advisor Joe Cortright who recently spoke with leaders in Akron about ‘Attracting Talent Through the Development of Vibrant Urban Centers’.
Speaking as part of the Urban Innovators Speaker Series, Joe shared his insights on the ongoing transformation…
Reinventing Business-Civic Partnerships
December 16, 2009
Excerpts from Carol Coletta's remarks to the Cities of Service "Building the Blueprint Meeting" in Philadelphia Dec. 3, 2009.
Not that long ago, there was an obvious reason for business to be involved in community. In any mid-size city, there were three big local banks, three local department stores, two…
Urbany Named Top Trend
November 24, 2009
Trendwatching.com has named Urbany a top ten trend of 2010. As Trendwatching puts it, "Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world." And demanding consumers lead to innovation.
Read more here.
Identity Theft for Cities
November 21, 2009
While regionalism might look good on paper, in practice it leaves much to be desired. Carol Coletta discusses the pitfalls of being place agnostic in this blog entry featured on GOOD.is.
VELOCITY Food for Thought
September 10, 2009
How can cities deliver a new and much-sought after American good life that is both sustainable and delightful to citizens?
That question will be at the center of a two-day creative salon of 40 select experts from a variety of fields held in Grand Rapids on Sept. 14-15, which will…
The Radical Urbanist: Enrique Penalosa
August 31, 2009
Those who met Enrique Penalosa at our national meeting in San Diego last spring know that he is unapologetically pro-urban, pro-pedestrian and anti-car. We recently ran across a series of videos featuring Enrique's thoughts on a car-free world, investing in public space and cities as a means of achieving equality…
GOOD Magazine: The Future of Cities
August 25, 2009
As a preview to the work CEOs for Cities is launching on the future of cities next month at our VELOCITY salon in Grand Rapids, GOOD Magazine asked for a primer piece, which was published late last week on the GOOD blog. It's capturing quite a bit of attention…
The Urban President
July 15, 2009
Reviews of Monday's remarks by the president on his plans for urban America have been mixed. Some have praised simply the attention he gave to the subject while other have criticized the apparent lack of muscular policy response on behalf of cities.
I read it this way. It is still…
Want to Save the Earth? Live in a City.
June 11, 2009
At first glance, cities may appear to be a big source of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. But new research by the nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), which compares greenhouse gas emissions of city and suburban households, yields some surprising results.
CNT looked at emissions of…
High Speed Rail a Priority for White House
April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Sec. of Transportation Ray LaHood held a press conference today to announce a new U.S. push to transform travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines from city to city, reducing dependence on cars and planes and spurring economic development.
The President laid…
Cities from 1956
March 23, 2009
A paean to American cities circa 1956. Scenes from a film called 'American Engineer.'
Live from San Diego
March 13, 2009
We'll be Live Blogging on this page from the CEOs for Cities Strategy Summit in San Diego next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Check here for live updates, photos and speaker notes. We also have a tv crew taping the entire meeting for later broadcast. I look forward to the conversations.
…Cities Hot for Housing
March 11, 2009
USA Today finally picked up the story we blogged last week on new EPA research that shows a substantial amount of housing built this decade has shifted from open fields on the edges of suburbia to dense central cities and their nearby suburbs, a change that suggests that the…
Global City 2009
March 8, 2009
I'll be joining city managers and planners from the world’s leading cities including Seoul, Lyon, Paris, Mumbai, Beijing, Jeddah, Riyadh and San Francisco in Abu Dhabi next month to debate and determine the blueprint for successful urban living over the next 10 to 100 years.
Global City 2009 will be…
America's Fastest Changing Cities
February 23, 2009
Normally, I run the other way when I see these Forbes' lists of most/best/least/worst cities. But I'll post the link to the list of America's Fastest Changing Cities. Los Angeles is at the top of the list, having lost the most households in the nation. The rest of the…
Another Way Cities Get Screwed
February 22, 2009
It is now accepted wisdom that federal highway funding has been a major subsidy to sprawl. But sometimes the subsidies are so insidious that they go unrecognized for years, even by those who pay the bills.
This is the case today in Memphis where taxpayers there pay once for City…
Cities Are the Solution
February 8, 2009
This morning I've been reading an advance copy of Jeff Brugmann's new book, Welcome to the Urban Revolution: How Cities Are Changing the World, along with the new issue of Seed magazine.
Both make the obvious (but much ignored) point that cities are bastions of efficiency, thanks to their density. …
Time for Reinvention
February 6, 2009
While the future may be uncertain, a collaboration in Stamford is actively engaging in conversations to ensure that their city rides this wave successfully. The Reinventing Stamford initiative, co-hosted by CEOs for Cities partner Kip Bergstrom, will use this year to convene key stakeholders with outside thought leaders…
Woman at Neiman's
February 3, 2009
On a recent trip to Neiman Marcus on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, I found this striking woman reading intently in the Accessories Department. When I left the store almost an hour later, she was still there. That's when I took this photo. I later learned from a sales associate that she…
What's a Metro Nation without Strong Cities?
January 23, 2009
After an interview on WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi show Thursday, I started thinking again about this idea of America as a "metro nation." I was on first with guest host Rebecca Roberts, followed by Amy Liu of Brookings, where the idea of regionalism has been pushed hard for the…
Crowded Streets Correlate to Innovation
January 5, 2009
Why do cities continue to grow? And why, even in the electronic age, do they endure as wellsprings of intellectual life?
The Boston Globe believes it has found the answer. "Recent research by scientists at the Santa Fe Institute used a set of complex mathematical algorithms to demonstrate that…
Teen Murders Up? Nah.
December 31, 2008
Freakonomics author Steven Levitt disputes the new report making headlines by James Alan Fox that homicide rates of black teens are up. Turns out that Fox failed to adust for the increase in the number of blacks ages 15 to 19, which rose 15 percent between 2000 and…
Investing in Infrastructure Wisely
December 23, 2008
Bob Yaro, who continues to lead on good regional planning from his post as head of New York's Regional Plan Association, has prepared a statement to the new administration on the economic stimulus plan that outlines a five step program for infrastructure investment as part of the America 2050 Coalition:
…Mayors Meet with Jarrett
December 18, 2008
Mayors meet in Chicago Thursday with Valerie Jarrett, White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison. Jarrett is expected also to have the new Office of Urban Policy reporting to her. Reports are that mayors will at minimum describe the type candidate they…
Obama: Santa to Cities?
December 1, 2008
As reported by Politico: "To the nation’s mayors, Barack Obama seems a little like Santa Claus — with a big sack of federal money to build local projects that would help stimulate the nation’s faltering economy.
"With infrastructure investment a key tenet of the economic…
How to Build a Great City
November 16, 2008
That's the cover headline on a recent issue of Azure. Inside, reporter Nelda Rodger asks, "Is a great city one that is thrilling to live in, or one where you never have to lock your bike? Where buildings are tourist attractions, or where everyone rides public transit? Can a…
Nostalgia (and Ambition) for the Land
October 31, 2008
In the past week, I've been in South Africa and Canada, as well as the U.S., speaking and exchanging ideas with leaders. It occurred to me that in all three nations, there is a romanticized notion of the role rural areas still play in their success.
In the U.S., we've…
Colin Powell Sticks Up for Cities
October 19, 2008
Did anyone else notice? Good for Colin Powell. See it here.
Also, Powell comes out strongly -- strongly -- for religious freedom by telling a very poignant story of an American soldier who died in service who was also a Muslim.
If we can't get along across faiths,…
Johannesburg: The Big Surprise
October 18, 2008
I couldn’t find a guidebook before I arrived in Johannesburg. In fact, I couldn’t find one after I arrived either. And the attractions listed in the (very good) hotel directory had only five listings, including a Lion Park and the Zoo. Not exactly what this urbanist had in mind.
Where to Live in a Recession
October 15, 2008
Business Week says in a recession you are safer in a city that relies on government (including universities and contracting) and health care. Number one recession-proof city? Arlington, VA. Number two? Washington, DC.
Cool City Pics
September 20, 2008
Love these photos.
Long Live the City
August 24, 2008
That's the theme for this year's Designboost to be held in Malmo October 15-17. Learn more here.
Yeah, Right
August 7, 2008
According to Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), Democrats are rejoicing over the high cost of gas and the loss of jobs around the country.
"This is their agenda," Bachmann states bluntly. "I know it is hard to believe, it's hard to fathom -- but this…
City Talent Ranking
July 23, 2008
As I prepare for the Urban Next Summit kicking off tomorrow in New Orleans, I can’t help but check out Forbes recent rankings of Best Cities for Young Professionals.
Looking at the 40 biggest metros in the U.S., Forbes bases its rankings on where the class of…
Happiness Is Dancing
June 30, 2008
Here's one of the happiest, most exuberant videos on the web. Where is Matt? Everywhere.
Update from the White House
December 16, 2009
CEOs for Cities partners were recently briefed by the White House Director of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion and Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs Derek Douglas during a special conference call.
Carrion, who was a surprise guest on the call, gave an overview of how the Office of…
CEOs for Cities to Launch VELOCITY
September 9, 2009
CHICAGO – In a push to accelerate solutions to tackle our nation’s most pressing challenges while delivering a much-sought after new American dream for citizens, CEOs for Cities will launch VELOCITY, a national movement to re-imagine, reinvent and revitalize American cities.
"Its purpose is to create an energizing agenda for…
Stimulus Proposal Released
January 16, 2009
The House Appropriations Committee has released information on the proposed economic stimulus package that has the following as its focus:
- Clean, Efficient, American Energy
- Transforming our Economy with Science and Technology
- Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways
- Education for the 21st Century
- Tax Cuts to Make Work Pay and…
The Stimulus: What Washington Can Do for NYC
January 14, 2009
The Center for an Urban Future (New York City) has published a new report that offers 51 specific recommendations for what Washington could do to help New York City. The recommendations encompass a wide range of the most critical issue areas affecting New York, including public safety, transportation infrastructure, economic…
The Stimulus: Making a Strong Case for Cities
January 13, 2009
Negotiations on the stimulus package continue. While the “Investments” portion of the four-part package (infrastructure) gets smaller, it also seems to be getting narrower. Included are roads, bridges, schools and water systems. Transit is currently not favored out of fear that transit projects are not “shovel ready.” There also seems…
Two days after the Presidential election, CEOs for Cities will convene in Chicago for a special one-day meeting to challenge the President-elect and his transition team to establish a new era of cooperation between the Federal government and America's cities.
At a national press conference during the Nov.…
Carol Coletta's Speech to the Tennessee Municipal League
June 22, 2008
Too many urban leaders still operate under old assumptions when it comes to planning for their cities' futures. In her speech to the Tennssessee Municipal League, CEOs for Cities president and CEO Carol Coletta, discusses what leaders must pay attention to today and how they must respond to new realities…
Cities and Political Donors
May 19, 2008
Seventy-two percent of political donors strongly agree that America cannot be strong without strong cities, and they view cities as the solution for some of the country's most pressing problems, including job growth and development, according to a new survey released today by CEOs for Cities and Living Cities. See…


