Blog

Soapblog 1

Posted By: Carol Coletta, 6/3/2008
CEOs for Cities, a national network of urban leaders, including a number from Cincinnati, who are creating next generation cities, gathered two weeks ago for its national meeting in Pittsburgh.  It was provocative and surprising from start to finish.

The first big surprise was Pittsburgh itself.  Most of our members had never been there, and if they had, it was a long time ago. What they found was a city with an appealing downtown, high usage of its public transit system (buses only, by the way), vibrant in-town neighborhoods, a connected, people-friendly riverfront, and plenty of construction underway.

What they didn’t find were steel mills and polluted air. Although Pittsburgh still loves its Steelers, it is no longer Steel Town.  In fact, Pittsburgh has now shed all of the manufacturing jobs it’s going to lose, and the city is left with an economy built on advanced manufacturing, eds and meds.  With Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh leading the city’s array of universities (and with Google’s new offices there to take advantage of the tech talent), the city is well positioned to thrive in the knowledge economy.

The two biggest worries for Pittsburgh, in my view, are the drag on its future vision that the past continues to exert and the fact that Pittsburgh is far more white than is healthy at a time when diversity matters at all levels.

Are there lessons here for Cincinnati?
Comments:
Tuesday, June 03, 2008 10:31 AM by Brian Siegel
Great initiatives and energy towards getting people involved to inspire growth in our cities!

Diversity and Identity -

Cincinnati could learn that we too have a stale nostalga regarding the identity of our city. We too are not a 'river town', but a city of communities with growing diversity, but that diversity is 'still in bubbles'. We need to find things to connect and 'matrix' together our diverity. Diversity breeds leadership with different perspectives. Different perspectives breeds ideas, and ideas generates innovation. Things we all need in every city. Cities are a place where people can engage in conversations, build projects, and create fellowship for change.

"Intellectual Economy" and the Information Age -

You mentioned an example of Google utilizing the talent and educational systems to grow the 'knowledge economy'. Cincinnati has what I like to view as the "Harvards and Yales" of the MidWest with Xavier (top business school) and UC (globally recognized DAAP/Medical/Engineering programs) (not to take any respect from NKU, Miami, or other fine institutions of higher learning) that need to be utilized more for growing our 'intellectual ecomomy' and harness that energy for fueling connections go growing issues such as our cities opportunities, careers, companies, projects, community service, and ecomomy. My point is to utilize our local institutions to invite involvement, as well as inspiration for better tomorrows.

Talent -

We have local talent. From musicians and artists, to business people and innovators. We need to encourage these channels more, and create mediums so these talents don't go to waste. We need to amplify these innovative and interesting voices better. We have begun to do so through channels such as Cincinnati USA, Leadership Initiatives, the powerhouse headquarters such as P&G, Macy's, Chiquita, 5/3, GE, educational insituations, community service, and many other organizations. We should work on ways to unite, build synergy, and fuel the wonderful energy and attitude I know many have in Cincinnati.


Keep inspiring, and being inspired!
Brian Siegel


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