Wanted: SF/SM

Whenever I tell people that Columbia needs to attract more young singles, I get some odd looks.  Don’t we already have plenty of young college students?  True, but how many of our nearly 30,000 students actually remain here in Columbia?  You could say that talented young people are Columbia’s number one export.

That’s a shame because in the new economy, the key to a city’s economic growth is 25 to 34 year olds.  These well-educated, single professionals make up the bulk of the creative class—knowledge workers who traffic in ideas, innovation and technology.

Researcher Joseph Cortright calls this demographic “The Young and the Restless.”  They’re an intelligent, mobile and relatively inexpensive workforce—and they are the key to making it in an economy that has seen major shifts in recent years.

The old economy focused on selling your city on the cheap with low cost labor and unrealistic incentives.  The new economy focuses on attracting creative and talented people—and using them to lure in businesses.  These young professionals are highly mobile and will pack up and move to a great city, trusting that a job will be there.  Gone are the days when a graduating senior relocated to a run-of-the-mill town simply because she or he had a job offer.  Cortright says that cities who actively work to make themselves attractive to 25 to 34 year olds—by making people the focus of economic development efforts— are the ones that will come out on top.

This certainly isn’t the only demographic we should be courting.  The Columbia Chamber of Commerce, for instance, is doing a great job promoting Columbia as a home for retirees.  Although the emphasis on the number of hospitals we have seems to suggest this generation is bordering on the infirm, that’s certainly not the case.  Today’s retirees are “younger” than ever before.  You’re more likely to see them at rock concerts, brew pubs and rock climbing gyms than at senior centers.  No wonder the Chamber has this demographic in their sights.

However, a city comprised of college students and retirees won’t get us where we need to be.  We have to ask ourselves, what do we need to do to keep these young and talented professionals here in Columbia?

Part of the answer is amenities—a live music scene, recreational opportunities, a vital central city and a diverse and tolerant society. They’re more likely to be up on the latest innovations, the coolest technology and the hottest new podcast—so the local culture has to be open to innovative ideas.  And, in a statistic that’s close to my heart, they’re a third more likely to live within three miles of downtown—meaning more central city housing geared to 25 to 34 year olds.

The rest of the answer lies in our current relationship with our college students.  Have we welcomed them into our community or do we view them as the reason for the open container ordinance?  Do we have the tolerance for diversity necessary to attract young people from all walks of life?  Are we encouraging a climate where innovative, tech-based businesses can thrive? Do we know what they want, why they leave and where they are going?

Instead of breathing a sigh of relief when all the students leave for the summer, let's find out what we need to do to get them to stick around.

Find me at www.discoverthedistrict.com.

How Cool is Columbia?

Truly cool cities don’t need marketing campaigns—just ask the folks in Austin or Boulder.  But what if your city isn’t cool and wants to be?  Michigan is trying to answer this question with its Cool Cities campaign, a statewide initiative to spur economic development by making Michigan, well, cooler. 

What makes a city cool—and how cool is Columbia, Missouri?  An even better question is why are cities across the country focusing so much attention on something that seems completely unrelated to a strong and vital economy?

Michigan surveyed residents and key recruitment targets and came up with a list that mirrors what many experts are calling for, including Richard Florida, author of The Creative Class and researcher into what makes cities thrive in today’s world.  Number one in the catalog of cool? Walkable communities—followed closely by vital downtowns, arts and culture, recreational options, historic preservation, mixed-use developments and tolerance for diversity. 

Hard to argue with great amenities like these—but why are they so important to economic development?

Besides being the backbone of a great community, these amenities all appeal to workers in the new economy—knowledge workers in creative fields who will relocate to cities that provide them with “peak experiences.”  Whether this is intellectual stimulation, outdoor recreation, great culinary experiences or distinctive neighborhoods, the up and coming talent is looking for more than just a job with a good salary.  Even better, they’re willing to pack up and move to a city that can provide them with these peak experiences.

This signals a dramatic shift in how we need to approach economic development.  In the old economy, cities attracted businesses by offering them cheap labor or abundant natural resources.  Incentives became a must as cities competed with each other to attract companies.  Significant global changes have made this a losing battle for many U.S. cities.  In the new economy, the focus shifts to ideas, innovation and technology.  Next-generation cities are attracting educated, talented and creative people by providing them with physical and cultural amenities.  Hit critical mass and companies will locate where the talent base is.

So, how is Columbia doing when it comes to cool?  

We’re certainly on the forefront in many areas.  We have a vital central city with great dining and entertainment options.  We have an extensive park and trail system, with more federal funding on the way.  We’re also fortunate to have a strong knowledge base—not only are we home to three colleges but we’re also working on key projects like the Bond Life Sciences Center and the Mid-Missouri Technology Business Incubator.  Best of all, we score high on one of the most important indicators of cool—authenticity.  As cities across the nation become more generic, the creative class and the knowledge workers will be seeking out cities that have the very authenticity we tend to take for granted.

Could we do more?  Of course.  What we really lack is a bold, coordinated effort among the government, business and non-profit sectors to turn Columbia into a next-generation city—a city that builds its economic base upon creative and talented people and then actively sets out to recruit them.

Creating the type of city that appeals to this talented core of people has other benefits as well.  As we work to improve these types of amenities in Columbia, we’ll be creating the type of city we’d like to live in as well.  Because really, who doesn’t want to be cool?

Find me at www.discoverthedistrict.com.