Tampa Bay Mayor Bob Buckhorn Has His City Thinking Like a Marketer

The most coveted demographic for brands and marketers is traditionally the 18 to 49-year-olds. A TV show that scores well with that group will almost guarantee to keep the ad dollars flowing and network execs happy. Cities and marketers have a lot in common these days. Each are working hard to court this demographic, especially [...]

Parks, Sidewalks, Industrial Sites and Other Things That Make People Happy

Living near parks and sidewalks can make people happy, according to the results of a long-term study, but what about living near an industrial area? Planners across the nation are focusing more on adding amenities that make areas more livable. While playgrounds and bike lanes often come to mind, some planners say industrial areas can [...]

Five New Census Stats You Need to Know

America is a more diverse place than ever, according to new U.S. Census Bureau population estimates. The annual update of population counts showed that Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group (by percentages), and the Hispanic population continues to grow in aggregate numbers. That’s the big headline, but digging a little deeper there [...]

Five Ways Greenways Impact Communities Beyond Recreation

Confession: About 15 years ago, I would not have been able to accurately explain what “greenway” means.  But as it turned out 10 years later, getting closer to a great one eventually drew me to my neighborhood. Most people define a greenway as a corridor of land set aside primarily for recreation, usually offering people [...]

The Agile City: Making Many Small Plans

Daniel Burnham, famed Chicago architect and planner from the turn of the 20th century, is famous for saying, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized.” There’s something to that. Grand plans are fun to get behind. In today’s world, however, making lots of [...]

Parks, Running Tracks, Outdoor Urinals Give Residents Something They Can Use

You might not think of a urinal as something that could improve quality of life, but read on. We’ve got a story that might change your mind. This week’s roundup of livability-related stories from around the Web looks at some of the projects cities have taken on in an effort to improve their residents’ lives. [...]

Real Estate Trends or Home Buying Myths? Trulia’s Jed Kolko Has Answers

Summer’s here and most indications are that the real estate market is finally starting to heat up. We asked Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economist and vice-president of analytics, to tell us what he’s seeing in market data today. What are the real estate trends and what are the myths? Livability: When you look at various factors [...]

Reshaping of Communities Focuses on Livability – Weekly Round Up

There’s no doubt that a reshaping is occurring in many communities. An increasing number of older adults, population growth in large cities, and changes in consumer shopping habits have dictated that cities themselves need to evolve and adapt. Our weekly round up of livability-related stories from around the Web focuses on some of the changes [...]