According to a recent study by Americans for the Arts, investment in the arts enhances the economic climate of cities and increases quality of life: the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity annually and is responsible for 5.7 million full-time jobs in the United…

If you’re interested in a snapshot of resident sentiments in other parts of the world, here’s a survey of Istanbul’s residents, undertaken by Ipsos for the Urban Age City Survey.

According to the study, Istanbul residents’ top three reasons for liking Istanbul are job opportunities, health services and…

The NYT story on Brooklyn's outdoor dance floor on the Gowanus Canal reminded me how much I appreciate Chicago's commitment to "13 years of free dancing in Grant Park" called SummerDance. 

Bklyn Yard is a set of dance platforms frequented by electronica fans on summer Sunday afternoons.  It…

it's a trend the Chicago Tribune documented earlier. Now the NY Times has got the story of how families are making downtown Chicago their second home.  According to the NYT, "Chicago has become a second- and vacation-home hot spot, fueled by its market of new condos and converted high-rise…

Interesting commentary here by Bob Yaro, as published by the Center for an Urban Future.  Mr. Yaro suggests that in order for the U.S. to compete with China's fast growing economy, it will have to take a more aggressive approach to building the urban infrastructure supporting its mega-regions.  China…

Loved this pull quote from Metropolis article on Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë: "Delanoë would rather spend money improving the urban experience than sweetening deals to attract business investment. He knows that living well is the most effective business investment."

One of the mayor's priorities has been to "blur the…

Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, is a delightful maverick who insists that any city can be transformed. In an interview with CNN, Lerner insisted that "every city can improve its quality of life in less than three years, no matter the scale or the financial conditions.  All you…

"To our generation, it doesn't make sense to have a great job in a crummy city."

Those are the words of one mobile member of the Young and Restless as quoted in today's New York Times.

Writer Lisa Belkin devoted her Life's Work column to the fact that 64 percent…