The world's greatest cities - the ones attracting highly skilled, highly educated, and well paid workers - share in common some key characteristics. The list includes 1) a range of transportation choices that ensure the urban area is readily accessible and 2) public parks and open spaces - even better if they're near water - that make metro areas fun and inviting. The list also includes a culture of tolerance and racial diversity. Most Great Lakes cities continue to progress slowly in these basic areas while rising powers like Portland, Denver, and San Francisco move full speed ahead.
The City of San Jose - one of America's top talent magnets - clearly gets it, too. The city already is networked with an extensive light rail system. And civic leaders there recently opened the $100 million Guadalupe River Park & Gardens in an effort to continue attracting new residents and businesses downtown. The 2.6 mile long riverfront park includes hiking and biking trails, open meadows, public art, fountains, sitting areas, and playgrounds right in the heart of downtown. The park also includes a "Gene Pool," pictured above, that contains a collection of stones marked with first names from the various cultures that enrich the city.
"The idea is to celebrate the integration of cultures that goes on here in San Jose," said Dennis Korabiak, program manager for the city's Redevelopment Agency. "It's key to who we are and our success."
