July 25, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2011
Contact: Sonya Moste, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Phone: 404-614-8281
VITALITY INDEX FOR CITIES RANKS ATLANTA IN THE TOP TEN
Atlanta #6 in New Urban Index
Atlanta ranks no. 6 among 35 US cities for vitality and creativity according to Creative Cities International, LLC (CCI) as announced in its Vitality Index™ (VI) last week. The top 5 cities are Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston. Atlanta placed ahead of Minneapolis, Columbus, Los Angeles and New Orleans.
The Vitality Index™ takes a new look at what makes exciting cities - big or small - work, weighting cultural data equally with information on trends, costs and demographic data.
"Cultural assets, like the ones ranked by this index, are critical to the success of 21st century globally competitive cities," says Brian McGowan, CEO for the Atlanta Development Authority. "These things are considered to be part of a city's innovation infrastructure. Many companies considering location and expansion plans are looking for places that can attract young, smart and creative people.”
CCI gathered data on “vitality factors” through questionnaires to city officials and an online survey in each of the 35 cities selected, paying attention to cultural and athletic attractions, night life, street life, educational opportunities, cafe society and general creative dynamism.
“We wanted to know how people experience their city and what they value,” says Linda Lees, Director of CCI. “What they expressed most clearly is the desire to be around other people. They care about great public spaces, exciting neighborhoods, street life and opportunities to engage with their city and its citizens.”
Great communities also share another essential: “good messiness.” From the report:
“The vitality of a creative city distinguishes it from just any urban environment... That creative tension, which is the result of an entrepreneurial spirit combined with restless talent wanting the city to be more remarkable or provide better outlets for ideas and energy equals what we call “good messiness.” It is the energy we find in exciting places that is difficult to define but immediately felt. (And just as readily felt when it isn’t there.) “
"With 37 million visitors a year, it's hard to deny the energy surrounding our city," said William Pate, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO. "Over the last few years, Atlanta has seen significant tourism growth with our world class attractions and restaurants. More options bring more visitors and add to the vibrancy of our community."
Cities in the study are Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Raleigh, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Denver, Columbus, Portland, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Miami, Philadelphia, Cleveland, St. Louis, Tampa, Charlotte, Tulsa, Washington, DC, San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Houston.
About Creative Cities International, LLC
Creative Cities International LLC is a firm based in New York and London, which focuses on the role of the arts and culture to deliver new solutions for sustainable urban regeneration. CCI is a global team of the most dynamic and experienced practitioners in culture and urban planning, market and financial analysis, architecture, transportation and the creative industries. CCI puts culture and community at the heart of urban planning. It delivers practical solutions for sustainable and creative urban regeneration. It applies the Vitality Index™, which brings to life a city's human strengths as it respects its social, cultural, and economic complexities. The Vitality Index™ can help guide cities to make better choices - to support programs and policies that are clearly, and verifiably, enriching the lives of their citizens in economic and cultural ways and also give them pause about pursuing policies that don’t or won’t. The real value of the VI is in its usefulness as a means of improving the quality of life for the residents of the city by staying in touch with their desires and aspirations.
About The Atlanta Development Authority
The Atlanta Development Authority is the official economic development agency for the city of Atlanta. ADA represents intown Atlanta, which has a population of 420,000 and growing. ADA is a research-based economic development organization, focused on residential, business and investment growth in the city. Visit www.atlantada.com.
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