By Andrea Applegate, Director of Workforce Development
There’s much conversation these days about the great quality of life in the Columbus region and how it translates to economic development. Did you catch 10TV’s “Central Ohio 2015: A Community Visioning Project” ? Perhaps you saw the article on ColumbusUnderground regarding the 12 Ideas Laid Out for Downtown 2010 Strategic Plan. Maybe you were one of the 6,000 central Ohio residents who responded to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) survey, Shaping our Future: the Regional Plan for Central Ohio, to share your opinion about what you think are our community’s assets and what you would like to see changed. Indeed, my colleague, Robbie Banks, recently boasted that Columbus is a Terrific Place to be a Young Professional.
I believe Columbus is a terrific place to be. Period. We have the #1 zoo, the #1 library, and the #1 science museum right here in central Ohio. Columbus recently played host to the Ohio Rugby Classic at Berliner Park. Columbus has a polo club, an active community of fans and supporters of the MLS Columbus Crew, and Walk! magazine rated the New Albany Walking Classic as “America’s Best Walking Event.” Columbus’ own Jazz Arts Group was awarded a $200,000 grant by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to create a national model for building jazz and music audiences, entitled the Jazz Audiences Initiative. How cool is that?
Not all of these amenities directly appeal to me, but I am proud to live in a community with nationally ranked and recognized assets, a diverse array of clubs and interest groups, and arts and culture diversions of the highest caliber to stimulate the mind and nurture the soul. Oftentimes, when contemplating a move to (or from) a community, people have a list of criteria they expect to be present in their new hometown. These attributes may be stated or unstated, and they are as personal and varied as the individuals themselves. Each of us seeks a particular quality of life. Even though we may never take advantage, simply knowing those things are available if we wanted them is satisfaction enough. I love that in Columbus you can live whatever kind of life you want to lead. I look around at all the residential construction downtown. Downtown living may not be for me at this stage of my life, but I’m grateful to see new residences being built because I know there are folks who do want to live downtown. Now they can in Columbus, rather than moving to another city that will satisfy their interests. Of course, in addition to being an “urban hipster” living in a downtown high rise, you can be a suburban soccer mom/dad, or you can live in a farmhouse out in the country. In the Columbus region, we have the Best of Everything.
So how does a broad and diverse quality of life positively impact economic development? How do bike lanes, farmers' markets and high-quality daycare impact our ability to attract and retain a workforce? When we offer a lifestyle and quality of life that appeals to a wide variety of people—artists, entrepreneurs, school teachers, physicians, business professionals, civic leaders, rodeo clowns, motorcycle cops, chemical engineers, etc.—we will have the people to work in those jobs, for those companies who create those products and/or conduct those services. So, even if that club or show or building is not important to you, it’s likely important to someone else: a customer, client, employee—even a family member. It’s likely important to someone else who is important to you.
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