Photo: Cadillac Square in Detroit. Credit: Michigan Municipal League on Flickr.com

Patrick L. Phillips is the global chief executive officer of the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit education and research institute that provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in sustaining and creating thriving communities worldwide. Downtown Detroit photo courtesy Urban Land Institute.

Communities across the nation are moving away from the tendency to design and build for cars (so 20th century) to an approach that puts the needs and desires of people first. At the Urban Land Institute, we’re excited about the notion that as cities become more livable, they are more resilient to economic cycles and even natural disasters. The social cohesion that comes with a high quality of life is a powerful catalyst for the investment needed to grow during good times and recover during the bad ones.  

This community-building trend holds much promise, provided that what is being done to enhance livability is available to all residents. Recent research from the Urban Land Institute suggests, however, that this is not the case. “America in 2015,” released in May, finds that many Americans face significant community design-related barriers to enjoying a healthy, high quality of life. A large number of people, particularly minorities and millennials, report living in areas that lack easy access to safe places for outdoor physical activity, and active transportation systems such as bike lanes, and healthy food options.   

With Knight Foundation support, we are seeking to change this. The institute is launching a new initiative to help four U.S. cities – Charlotte, N.C.; Detroit; Philadelphia; and San Jose, Calif. – better understand what people value in their communities and improve access to and availability of those community attributes. The initiative, funded with $75,000 from Knight Foundation, will connect the national results of “America in 2015” to local data and regional trends for each of the cities to help them plan for the future.

Our District Councils in each of the cities (all communities where Knight invests) will host programs that combine a presentation of the national report with a panel of local land use experts who will discuss the implications of the report, along with relevant local information for future development and community growth. These will be followed by a series of activities to engage residents in decision-making that results in community-wide benefits.  

Keeping the momentum going in each of these cities means placing a strong emphasis on providing housing for a mix of incomes and generations; and by investing in development patterns to further reduce automobile dependence and promote health and wellness, such as more pedestrian-friendly features and spaces that foster a strong sense of community. The goal of this initiative is to catalyze actions resulting in safer, more inclusive communities that are enjoyed by all, rather than endured by many.