The Soul of Northeast Ohio Communities

Posted Monday, November 22, 2010

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Great schools, ample green space, and safe streets all help create strong communities. But what else attracts people to the communities they live in? What do people value about their home towns? What are the assets and challenges of these areas? The Knight Foundation asked those same questions and recently shared the results of a three year study in 26 cities evaluating these exact questions. Join the conversation and tell us what is important to you and your family. Monday at 9 on 90.3.

Guests

Jennifer Thomas, Program Director, Knight Foundation
Charles Michener, Culture Critic
Jimi Izrael, Journalist

Additional Information

Poll gauges 'soul' of area communities
What Attaches People to their Communities?
Knight Soul of the Community 2010
Soul of the Community: a primer

Please follow our community discussion rules when composing your comments.

Norman 10:05 AM 11/22/10

I’m new to Akron (a mere 18 months ... relocated from 20 years in DC) and my partner and I have made it our goal to show our “big city” friends how great our area is. They — and we — know that services aren’t what make a community (those should be a given) but the restaurants, parks, and neighborhoods are what makes it great.

Willa 11:27 AM 11/22/10

We were transferred to Denver from Cleveland and we were excited to get out of town...we had a belief that the grass was greener anywhere but NE Ohio. After three years we worked hard to return.
My concern about N.E. Ohio is those that have never had an A - B Comparison about the benefits of living in NE Ohio...they are simply ignorant.
I believe those people that have the power to influence populations outside of NE Ohio need to take ownership in always promoting our strengths.
The Denver Colorado and surrounding regions are NOT better then N.E. Ohio. But the media is better at promoting the region. They do not advertise their faults and air dirty laundry. We have a habit of ‘airing our dirty laundry’ and dismissing our strengths.
What we found was we had the following:
A better cost of living for housing...slam dunk.
Better restaurants due to ethnic diversity.
Better medical as the rich and famous who fly into our region to be treated can confirm.
Better, broader and readily accessible culture in our museums...History, Automotive, Health, Science, Music, Sports...a FREE world class Art museum. A World class orchestra...on and on…
National Sports teams, World class Education
Ok, our river burned decades ago...well at least we have water to burn...in the western region of the U.S. they are trying to pipe in water from anywhere they can find water to purchase.
If you touch the mainstream media in any way, shape or form please...promote your NE Ohio family in a positive manner whenever you have an opportunity.