Jun 29

Written by: Greater Louisville Project
6/29/2010 11:33 AM

"The Greater Louisville Project and its Competitive City Report are an important contribution to the work we are all doing to make America a more competitive nation by making our cities more successful,”  Carol Coletta, head of the national network of urban leaders, CEOs for Cities, told an audience of Louisville civic and community leaders in her keynote address last week for the release of the 2010 Competitive City Report.

“America has changed and continues to change in important ways, and that, of course, will influence what you will have to do in Louisville to make your city a competitive force.”

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson said that the has found it “fascinating to see how our community consensus has converged so that we are all working together in new ways on these Deep Drivers of Change” in education, 21^st Century jobs, and quality of place.

The Mayor said he sees first hand the importance of the big community goal to move Louisville into the top tier among its peer cities in those three areas.   “Outside companies considering locating or expanding here always ask about whether Louisville has the educated workers they need,” he said, “Potential new residents ask about bike paths, cultural diversity, music and film festivals – these quality of life issues – routinely.

“We have heard from more and more national magazines and newspapers that want to write about our historic neighborhoods, Floyds Fork park expansion, downtown attractions – in short, aspects of Louisville that make it distinctive, special, and unique – its ‘quality of place’.”

In summarizing the 2010 Competitive City Report, Greater Louisville Project Director Carolyn Gatz also noted, “In the 34 years that I have lived in Louisville, I cannot remember a time when there has been such unanimity behind a common civic agenda.  Despite – or maybe even because of – the blows dealt by the Great Recession, there is an unprecedented sense of urgency particularly to address the challenge to raise education attainment."

“May we keep that sense of united purpose – and extend it to action in other critical areas.  It is the fuel for transforming Louisville and strengthening its competitive position to gain traction as the economy recovers.”

To be continued -- over the next several days, the GLP blog will share more of what  Coletta had to say about the work of CEOs for Cities and its partners to “build the next generation of greater American cities” and what that means for Louisville.

 

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