Today’s brainy quote that I found on the web:

“A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one.” Aristotle

I like this quote because it is so true about so many cities.  Sure New York is great with its 9 million residents, but so are many smaller cities in the U.S. and elsewhere. What makes a city great is the mix of people and ideas, not the size.

I was born in a great old city London (U.K.) then moved to a much smaller but still pretty interesting city on it’s own (Toronto).  When I was about 7 my parents moved us way out to the suburbs and for many years after that I really missed the cozyness and familiarity of my old city neighborhood.

I’ve had a hard time shaking that infatuation with old, vibrant neighborhoods–the kind that define so many cities.

How can you not enjoy the mix of cultures, lifestyles, businesses and ideas that make a city so interesting? Today I read an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about that city’s efforts to continue its transformation from a dieing rust belt city to a new millenium city – one that is proud of its industrial past but aggressively reaching out to the creative and passionate people who are looking for a city with potential.

Here’s their idea:  Cleveland has a concentration of top consumer product design companies and product manufacturers (like Moen faucets) so why not designate a section of the city as the District of Design.

Not only does Cleveland have it’s eyes set on attracting consumer product and furniture designers but it is also focused on reaching the college students who are also attracted to the city’s world class Museum, Art and Music institutes.

This is an example not just for grand old cities but for struggling communities, villages and towns everywhere.  Find what is unique and distinctive about your region and engage residents and business owners in a discussion about what your community can become. 

Sure these are uncertain economic times but it is also a time to regroup and determine how best we are going enhance our communities to support our lifestyles, our businesses and our childrens’ future.

Shaping our cities and towns into destinations that reflect the unique characteristics and goals of the people that live there is a way to help boost our local economies.  With the high cost of gas, more people will be travelling locally and that could be good news for your community.

I encourage you to read this article and see how it might apply to your efforts to build your business, community, or career.