Columbus monoculture
In case you missed it, the telegenic Eddy Monday (it can now be told) has a good interview with Columbus Young Professionals diva Rebecca Ryan. The post at columbusING is here, but the links are bad, here’s the video.
One thing that Eddy touches on, and we’ve previously agreed on this, is that trying to attract young professionals by direct appeal is probably not the best way of going about it. As with Austin or Denver, a city needs to create a buzz to attract people, and it’s not something that can be done with a marketing campaign designed by a consultant. It’s more art than science, and there aren’t any guarantees.
Rebecca Ryan did say that the “Young Professionals” focus was a part of her company’s mandate from the city, which explains a few things.
Also on the topic of what Columbus should be or could be, Cap City Savvy has a post, “Keeping Up with the Joneses“, which just leaves me cold. The prices on all those Portland condos average pretty high, and they all look the same- sleek and modern. What does Columbus need to cut in on that action?
The obvious peice were’ missing is the sleek mass transit connection. If you click around on the links provided, you’ll quickly see how hard the developers are marketing the lifestyle change that comes with disassociating cars from our lifestyle. They’re all touting close proximity to the streetcar line, bike path, and car-free connectivity to anything you’d ever need. I’m sure our local developers would love to do the same.
That would no doubt benefit the city’s tax base. But would it benefit the city?
I have the feeling that Columbus’s drive to attract yuppies is unhealthy in the long run. I’m uncomfortable with it. Do families and working class people fit into these plans? I guess that’s what the ‘burbs are for.
From Business First:
The median sales price in 2006 for downtown housing was $296,845. Just 21 percent of sales in 2006 were under $200,000. Bringing units in at lower prices could fuel an annual sales increase of up to 60 percent, the study projected.
Jeebus! Is my grammar really that awful! That’s what I get for blogging in front of the TV!
Anyway, as far as the pricing, sure the $4 million penthouses are indefensible, but some of those units are starting in the mid-$100’s. You’ve also got to consider that the people moving in will have low utility bills (LEED certified) and won’t have to deal with the second largest line item on their budget (their car). That frees up a lot of money for the mortgage!
hey i’ve done my fair share of traveling in the western united states- i’m from sf, live in san diego and have visited la, portland, seattle, boise, las vegas, tucson, phoenix, albuquerque, santa fe, great falls, denver- all in the last three years.
my advice to whomever cares in columbus- is to look at boise for an example… boise…
To me this doesn’t seem like a very complicated problem given the fact that Columbus has the largest public university campus in the nation.
I don’t see why we would first focus on “attracting” young professionals to move here, from somewhere else, when we already have a large crop of college educated people, between the ages of 20-40 something, who we should be retaining and/or retraining.
First, I’ll admit that I despise the image that the words “young professionals” spurs in my mind’s eye. If we are truly going to retain and/or retrain effectively, we should move beyond molding people to fit the tired and dull “young professionals” stereotype. There are plenty of people I could do without because they focus far too much energy trying to create themselves in the image of being a “young professional.”
With that said, newly graduating 20-something college students should be reminded of reasons to stay in Columbus versus moving somewhere else. Although salaries and job opportunities in certain fields may or may not be less in Columbus, the cost of living in Columbus is definitely more reasonable than most U.S. cities. At a minimum, this makes Columbus a great place to begin careers and to settle down with a significant other.
However, there is another group of youngish people in the 30-40 age range who could be targeted for retraining and retention as well. There are a multitude of college educated people in Columbus who, for whatever reasons, are underemployed but still like living in Columbus. But this group of people are not attracted to the old “young professionals” gimmick. These people are highly educated independent thinkers who don’t actually want or need to be viewed as a yuppie.
Columbus business owners and government officials should focus on satisfying the needs of these two distinct groups of current Columbus residents long before discussing any future campaign to attract new people from outside Columbus.
Columbus already has lots of families and working class people. Lots. A few blocks of sleek highrises wouldn’t change that. Nor will it change the fact that the city has miles and miles of inexpensive single family houses with yards.
A marketing campaign isn’t going to change things. It has to have something real to attract people. Anyone looking to make a significant live change, such as relocating to a new city, is going to do the research on their own.
[…] That’s kind of what I was getting at in this recent post. […]
i submit that the future of columbus hinges upon its cultural economy — and a significant part of that is ensuring the long-term vitality of the independent business community. if we have no unique or uncommon experiences to offer, what’s going to set us apart from any other city? what’s the attraction? austin has a vibrant community of local, independent businesses offering a variety of products, services and experiences — and an independent business alliance to market to and educate the public about the local economic impact of shopping at an independent business vs. a chain retailer. the studies are eye-opening. we need to support and re-invest in our local entrepreneurs — one small but important part of the puzzle.
If Columbus uses Boise as a model, would OSU spray paint their field blue?