By: Deborah Johnson Wood
You can’t run a successful downtown in 21st Century America unless it is first and foremost a neighborhood.
So says Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future, Inc., an Ann-Arbor based think tank devoted to developing prosperity and success for Michigan in the Information Age. Michigan Future authored the study Michigan’s Transition to a Knowledge-Based Economy.
At the October 16 session of the University of Michigan Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum, Glazer headed a roundtable discussion about the link between urban land use and the knowledge economy.
“Young talent demands walkable urbanism,” Glazer said. “In metro areas where young talent is congregating, there is a high premium on outdoor spaces for activities. A walkable city (walking proximity to jobs, entertainment, places to hang out), not the urban development, will determine a city’s success.”
Glazer noted that most respected studies show that young people increasing rely less on having cars, so cities need to increase density—preferably transit-oriented density.
“You can’t have walkability without density,” Glazer said. “Creating a thriving economy is all about metro areas. Metro areas need to create their neighborhoods with transit and rentable housing. If your housing isn’t renter-friendly you’re in big trouble. Young talent is buying the neighborhood, not the houses.”
Glazer also stated that metro areas that are successfully attracting young people have successfully married jobs and place.
“The West Michigan Strategic Alliance’s Internship Portal is an important recruitment tool,” Glazer said. “But if you do the internships right and don’t have a place where young talent wants to live, the jobs don’t matter.”
Source: Lou Glazer, Michigan Future, Inc.
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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