Why Quality of Place Matters

For years, cities measured their success in purely economic terms—jobs created, rising incomes and wages, the number of corporate headquarters, or the extent of high-tech industries. Recently, other things have entered the picture. Place-making efforts in cities across the United States and the world have emphasized quality daily life.

Municipalities have invested in everything from better parks and bike lanes to arts and cultural venues, all to help attract and retain talent and bolster residents’ happiness. These quality-of-place amenities were once thought of as an afterthought or something that happens after places get rich. Now we know that amenities—not just restaurants and bars but the whole package of great museums and libraries—play a key role in drawing the highly-skilled knowledge economy workers back to the city, bringing economic growth with them.