A surprise today from Richey Piiparinen, a Cleveland blogger and geographer at CSU's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs . . . We're getting smarter!
Well, not exactly. But we are, for the first time in a long time and most unexpectedly, actually gaining more college-educated young people than we're losing. For Cleveland, this is HUGE. It ties into urban planning and development from so many angles: housing and jobs, economy and entertainment, and above all, arts and culture.
Over and over again, we turn to the discourse on arts and culture to mediate our relationship with the young, talented workers we hope to attract. This ties so directly into the work that I hope - and plan - to do here in Cleveland that when I heard the study announced this morning on Sound of Ideas, I was so amazed I had to chime in. I commented:
I grew up in Cleveland and got my degree in architecture at Yale. After college, like so many of my peers, I Went West, Young Woman. In California, I studied permaculture and sustainability, biked to work, practiced yoga at a donation-based studio where everyone paid what they could afford, built giant sculptures out of recycled metal and became an ardent advocate for the power of art and creativity to transform public space. Not even a month ago, I moved back to Cleveland, and have begun working with a fabulous organization, @LAND studio, that supports many of the same principles I found informing my work in the Bay Area. Though I was always involved in the arts as a kid growing up in Cleveland, the atmosphere of creativity, openness and collaboration has absolutely taken off in recent years -- I know; I've been watching and plotting my return!
What drew me back (and I suspect this holds true for many others) is the feeling that not only is this a time of growth and excitement in Cleveland, but of great opportunity, as well. We are making many of the same changes, and exploring many of the same values and strategies traditionally associated with places like San Francisco -- a deep commitment to fostering unique and (if you'll excuse a word that's often over-used in this context) vibrant local culture, coupled with a renewed commitment to sustainability, local business, great programming and . . . fun. Frivolous though this last one may sound, it’s been a central topic in the debate over the best strategies in urban planning for a number of years now, and I think Cleveland’s new influx of young, educated people (often those without children and with the most disposable income) proves that it will continue to be an important factor moving forward.
Our 20-30-somethings are looking for jobs, affordable living, good-possibly-local food, and a home that won’t be swept into the ocean in 10 years . . . all things that Cleveland has. But they are also looking for the space and opportunity to participate in and build community in new creative ways that keep pace with the cutting edge of what’s happening in San Francisco, Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Cleveland affords that opportunity in abundance, with a critical mass of young folks in arts-focused districts like Tremont, University Circle, and Ohio City, and space to expand in places like Collinwood, Detroit Shoreway and our untapped industrial quarters, plus an economy that’s diverse and flexible beyond just Eds and Meds -- I think we’re poised for a blossoming of ideas and innovation for many years to come.