The cities most likely to flourish in our increasingly competitive 21st-century world will apply a few basic planning strategies. Following are ten reasons why thriving cities are leaving their competitors in the dust.
- Some cities earn more praise than others because of convenience. In a comfortable urban environment, most basic needs can be found in close proximity due to a sensible blend of commercial, community, and residential properties. Locals can walk around the corner to find fruit stands, smoothie cafés and coffee shops, banks, quality grocery stores, and family friendly parks. Consequently, they enjoy a strong sense of comfort, security, and ownership.
- Cities with strong economies and impressive cultural diversions have respected, forward-thinking universities. Well-educated people make everyone smarter and more interesting because they share their knowledge. Universities and colleges sponsor a broad array of events that keep the populace involved in worthwhile causes and unique activities. They advance disciplines like science, technology, engineering, math, law, sociology, literature, psychology, etc., so these institutions improve everyone’s quality of life in unlimited ways.
- Diversity is essential, to include age, gender, and race, because variation breeds curiosity and innovation. Along similar lines, youth must have interesting things to do, to include the chance to participate in a thriving Arts community. In environments like this, it’s common to see locals wearing imaginative or flamboyant styles as a normal state of affairs. All of these things change the way a person thinks and sees the world. The world population is over 7.8 billion and growing fast. Learning to deal with diversity equals learning to deal with life.
- A healthy urban culture shouldn’t be exclusively wealthy or miserably destitute. Restrictive wealth prices essential residents out of the area, and too much poverty leads to talented, visionary, and productive people leaving. Middle-class workers need to be a significant demographic.
- Moreover, young urban professionals should be able to find quality work. To a great extent, they define a city’s future, and their departure signals economic and cultural decay. Without them, culture becomes a fossil of something that might have been reasonably interesting once but no longer is. “Free Bird” was epic back in the day, but it’s time to listen to something new.
- It helps when an urban area features older, established neighborhoods, too. This leads to a sense of familiarity, ownership, and pride. People blend into environments that seem timeless and significant. Neighbors get to know each other in a more intimate community context and share an understanding of what it means to identify with memorable businesses, schools, landmarks, and local organizations.
- Likewise, diverse sports activities are usually a part of well-adjusted urban settings. Parents pass on a tradition of loyalty to local teams, which binds generations with shared interests and rich memories. When approached properly, sports also encourage good health and efficient teamwork, which improve our quality of life.
- Although broad weather patterns can’t be controlled, there’s no denying that a pleasant climate plays an important role in shaping a desirable urban experience. It also helps when at least one appealing geographical feature is nearby to inspire locals and visitors alike.
- Those who run successful cities ensure that their criminal justice systems specifically and legal systems generally perform their duties honorably, with as little corruption as possible. Those working in the legal system are also given the necessary tools and support to carry out their tasks efficiently. When these things happen, everyone feels more safe and secure, and people live more comfortably.
- Finally, good cities are happy places. People share unguarded smiles and laughter. They know how lucky they are, and they tend to act accordingly. Likewise, visitors see that something unique and positive is happening there. Well-adjusted populations draw like minds.
