14 April 2006

Urban Planning 101: Recruit Young Graduates

Thriving cities and states need young people, especially college graduates, according to an AP study. This is bad news for Ohio because we're at the bottom of the list in retaining college students and providing affordable education. This state is bleeding young people too much, and that's a poor prognosticator for a healthy future.


College graduates are flocking to America's big cities, chasing jobs and culture and driving up home prices.

Though many of the largest cities have lost population in the past three decades, nearly all have added college graduates, an analysis by The Associated Press found.

The findings offer hope for urban areas, many of which have spent decades struggling with financial problems, job losses and high poverty rates.

But they also spell trouble for some cities, especially those in the Northeast and Midwest, that have fallen behind the South and West in attracting highly educated workers.

"The largest predictor of economic well-being in cities is the percent of college graduates," said Ned Hill, professor of economic development at Cleveland State University. To do well, he said, cities must be attractive to educated people.


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