Cities need to be able to control their own destinies. That's the message from Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett in this interview with NPR. "Candidates and Washington in general are not talking about cities. Cities would do a lot better if they had more discretion." Cornett, who is the…

CEOs for Cities research points to quality of place, quality of talent, and quality of opportunity as the most important success factors for cities. In a speech at the annual meeting of the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, Carol Coletta, a CEOs for Cities partner and director of ArtPlace, commended…

Jim Walker, a CEOs for Cities Indianapolis cluster member, expounds on the virtues of Portland, which he explored during the Spring 2011 Spring National Meeting, in an article in the Indianapolis Star. Through the lens of Portland's regional growth boundary, vibrancy and livability, central city transportation, and walking and…

A podcast released by The Columbus Foundation discusses Columbus' success factors in attracting the young, college-educated population. Ranked 15th in The Young and the Restless study, Columbus maintains a large population of young, well-educated professionals through the quality and quantity of their urban neighborhood cores. The podcast credits…

At the US Initiative Livability Challenge in Indianapolis, local stakeholders discussed the importance of quality of place in attracting talent. Following the dialogue on the importance of good deisgn and nature in cities, an article in the New York Times discussed San Francisco's effort to turn "pavement into…

In how many communities could you get 1000 civic, government, business and labor leaders to gather for two days to wrestle seriously with the future of their city?
Count Toronto in.  Organized by Julia Deans at Civic Action, the Civic Action Summit brought Torontonians together to tackle issues such as…

Portlandia, a new television show that spoofs Portland’s urban vibe, showcases the city’s unique culture. A New York Times article on Portlandia discusses the factual basis behind much of the satirical content in the show. As the show demonstrates, people are obviously interested in Portland’s successes, many of…

The Gateway Arch is the subject of a new international design competition that calls the world’s designers and architects to action in service of reframing this iconic monument.

St. Louis’ National Park Service seeks to integrate the magnificent memorial and its grounds with St. Louis, the Mississippi River and Illinois…