Amplify the Urban Pulse

The 2014 Columbus Reputation Study commissioned by Experience Columbus found that the city’s greatest barrier in attracting visitors, and we would also argue young professionals, is the lack of pulse.  Pulse defines the ease of finding things to do and the amount of nightlife and urban vitality.  It has been argued in countless reports on millennials that young professionals are increasingly moving to cities.  A 2014 study by City Observatory found that in the 51 largest metropolitan areas, college-educated young professionals are more than twice as likely to live in close-in urban neighborhoods.

YPs today want an active lifestyle in a walkable area where they can easily find fun things to do.  Columbus needs to overcome the perception gap related to what there is to do and be discovered in Columbus.  In the process, there continues to be room for improvement, most notably in making our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods more pedestrian friendly, which will in-turn facilitate a more urban, dense and walkable environment.

The strength of our urban neighborhoods is foundational to our city’s ability to accelerate the pulse. It is important that we are continuously investing and facilitating vibrancy in our neighborhoods. Making the areas closest to downtown hot beds for local business growth and affordable living is important for attracting young professional residents.

The goal with the CCC’s current work is to identify what is working in neighborhoods across the city and around the world so that we can amplify our pulse by building upon our strengths and adopting the best practices and further compete as a city.

The CCC believes that as a city we need to

• Encourage and support out-of-the box thinking about how we use our public spaces, especially during the winter
• Remove barriers from making imaginative ideas a reality
• Foster local business and retail success in the urban core and surrounding areas
• Eliminate surface parking lots on key corners
• Encourage mixed-use development

Reports/National Insight

CityReport: The Young and Restless and the Nation’s Cities (PDF)  – Joe Cortright, City Observatory, 2014

Full Report: Insight 2050 (PDF) – 2015

What Millennials Want – And Why Cities Are Right to Pay Them So Much Attention – Anthony Flint, May 5, 2014, CityLab

A Data-Driven Case for Walkability – Kaid Benfield, CityLab, August 13, 2012

Local News

Apartment construction in central Ohio catching up to changing demand – Jim Weiker, The Columbus Dispatch, 2015

Columbus continues march toward 10,000 Downtown residents: Development in heart of city is at record level, observers say – Kelsey Husnick, The Columbus Dispatch, 2015

Cities with biggest rent hikes: Columbus ranks number 16 with a 11.5% increase – CNN Monday, 2015

Only 10 Surface Parking Lots Remain on High Street in The Short North – Walker Evans, Columbus Underground, 2015