Money, vision needed to get ‘young and restless’ to settle here

These numbers cast our region in a different light — exposing how amazingly competitive it is to attract the educated young to communities.

They are drawn to communities that have an appealing quality of life — a much softer and complex issue than offering cheap land, cheap labor, cheap housing and cheap energy (a mainstay of economic development in Georgia for decades).

What does quality of life include? Parks. Green space. Good schools. Comprehensive transit. Bicycle and pedestrian trails. Sidewalk communities. Quality restaurants. Exciting arts, cultural and entertainment venues. Nice climate. Low pollution. Top-level universities. Great neighborhoods. Minimal traffic. Health care. Ample water resources.

The list could go on and on.

Maria Saporta

Full Story: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/saporta/stories/2006/12/18/1218metsaporta.html

(Many thanks to Ed Morrison for passing this story along. Russ)