What sort of person do cities and metro areas most want to attract? If you described yourself, you were right – as long as you’re between 25 and 35ish and hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Preferably in a technology field.
That particular demographic is known as the “young and restless” or the “creative class.” Cities want these folks because they bring energy and vitality and new ideas with them. And they’re self-replicating: The young and restless attract more of the young and restless. And the more you attract, the cooler you are.
Austin, Tex., with its music scene, large university and concentration of tech companies, is Young & Restless Central. So is Washington D.C. Atlanta has a large contingent of the creative class, but it’s not in the same league with many other cities.
Coolness is tough. You either are or you’re not. And as one expert told the AJC, if your city has to have a marketing campaign that tells people how cool it is, it’s obviously not cool.
Throughout this week, the AJC publishes an eight-part series on metro Atlanta's 2012 turning point. Get the in-depth story on how our region ranks with nine of its metro competitors around the country. Find out who's in the lead (it isn't us) and why. It's a story you'll get only by picking up a copy of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution or logging on to the paper's iPad app. Subscribe today.
Click here for more information about the Atlanta Forward series.
Follow our scorecards and see how Atlanta stacks up against our competition.
Watch extra footage from the WSB roundtable of Atlanta leaders.
About the Author
