Urban renewal has a lot to offer men and their families.
For men growing up in medium to large cities, change often feels like a part of life. In urban areas such as these, the cityscape is always transforming before your eyes. Sometimes, you may not even notice it until you think back to the way things used to be.
Location and workforce base is everything to successful companies and many of these refurbished urban areas draw in educated millennials looking for a low cost of living.
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However, in some areas, these changes are breathtaking. They bring new life into urban centers that were previously rundown or had experienced a stark economic decline. When cities take on these urban renewal projects, we often see jumps in economic interest, innovative designs, and transformations into popular local destinations. Suddenly, these spots become ideal locations for men to find jobs or to spend time with their families.
Drawing in Business
Urban renewal has a special ability to draw in new small businesses and some major companies that are looking to relocate. Location and workforce base is everything to successful companies and many of these refurbished urban areas draw in educated millennials looking for a low cost of living. With this type of workforce nearby, and generally cheap commercial space available, many businesses are able to get off the ground and on the path toward long-term success.
Occasionally, major companies are encouraged to shift locations as a result of specific projects. For instance, the international skateboard company, Element, decided to move their headquarters from Los Angeles to Boise, Idaho after completion of an urban renewal project in the city. Boise recently completed the reconstruction of Rhodes Skate Park, the caliber of which Element CEO and founder Johnny Schillereff found “mind boggling.” The company will be moving into commercial space across the street from the park and will likely utilize the location for demos and outreach events.
Encouraging a New Age of Thinking
Projects such as those aimed to revive certain areas of the city offer a number of exciting opportunities for new ways of thinking as well. For example, many newly designed urban neighborhoods are created with energy efficiency and multi-modal transportation in mind. Often times, these new areas are incorporating energy efficient structures and smart grids technologies that help to keep costs down, improve affordability of residential structures, and promote greener environments.
Frequently, modern urban renewal projects are designed to promote strong local communities where residents can meet all their needs without leaving the neighborhood.
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A prime example of this new thinking in action is within our own capital. Washington DC’s Wharf Project, which ground broke on in 2014, is designed to be a pilot project for LEED neighborhood development. Furthermore, the project aims to encourage more bike and foot traffic with well developed bike and walk paths, which will cut down on traffic-related injuries. Finally, the Wharf will also take into account the natural environment by providing rooftops gardens on most buildings and utilizing vegetation to mitigate negative impacts of storm water runoff.
Building Communities
Frequently, modern urban renewal projects are designed to promote strong local communities where residents can meet all their needs without leaving the neighborhood. More and more commonly, urban renewal projects include the development of grocery stores, parks, and small businesses that can employ the many residents in the area. As previously mentioned, some aim to increase foot and bike traffic, which has actually been shown to benefit small business and local economies as well as provide safety and health benefits.
There are most certainly many instances where urban renewal projects result in gentrification, or situations where new development drives housing prices up and focuses lower income residents out. In order to address this issue, some urban renewal projects require that developers design with the current community in mind or that plans include a certain percentage of affordable housing units. These requirements may not be enough to completely nullify increases in residential prices, but they are a step in the right direction.
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Finally, many of these new developments are trying to take current inhabitants into account and build a safer, healthier community around them.
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Urban renewal has a lot to offer men and their families. Many projects attract small businesses and occasionally large companies that provide jobs for many working class families. These new developments also offer modernization of technologies and more emphasis on nature, which can save a surprising amount of money for residents and greatly benefit their long-term health. Finally, many of these new developments are trying to take current inhabitants into account and build a safer, healthier community around them.
With all this in mind, it might be worth some time to check out an urban renewal project near you!
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Photo: Getty Images