By Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf
April 14, 2003

If you want some exciting new ideas on developing your city, read The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida. At our Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, mayors had a standing-room-only session with Florida, professor at Carnegie Mellon. He believes that the most important thing we can do to foster economic development is to create a city that is a "people place." What a feast of ideas! His session alone made my trip to Washington, D.C., worthwhile.

Florida says that a city's quality of life and other livability factors attract the creative class of people who, in turn, attract high-quality jobs. As Florida explains it, while companies remain important, they no longer call all the shots. In our new creative economy, companies are moving, and are forming, where talented and creative people are.

His ideas resonated with me because my vision as mayor of Virginia Beach is to create a "Community for a Lifetime." I've always believed that we can accomplish that goal by attracting, nurturing and developing talented people.

As I took part in our session, I thought Florida must have visited Virginia Beach because I realized that we are putting into practice many of his theories.

To attract creative people, generate innovation and stimulate economic growth, Florida says a city must have the 3T's: Talent, Technology and Tolerance. Let's look at those 3T's in Virginia Beach. We already have the assets of diversity, intellect and talent. Earlier this year, USA Weekend looked at statistics for thousands of towns nationwide that track quality-of-life issues such as public safety, healthy environment, cost of living, income, education and diversity. After sifting through the data, the magazine found that Virginia Beach "was the hands-down winner" as the --best place to live in America.--

We constantly strive to become even better, and we continue to develop projects that will attract even more of the creative class — scientists, engineers, writers and professors, as well as creative professionals, those who work in knowledge-intensive industries such as high-tech sectors, legal and health care professions, and business management.

The Town Center development is an excellent example of how our community plans to attract talented and creative people. According to Florida, it's important to provide street-level culture for members of the creative class. Part of our plan is to encourage social interaction at street level in Town Center by offering venues like neighborhood coffee shops, bookstores, art galleries and cafes where people hang out simply for the pleasure of good company and lively conversation. Nightlife in Town Center will offer interesting music venues, a comedy club, a performing arts theatre, and cinemas. All of these entertainment and cultural options are important components to Florida's idea on an ideal city's lifestyle and amenity mix.

Spanning more than 17 city blocks, Town Center will provide a blend of retail, residential, entertainment and office development. Along the tree-lined streets, open green spaces, beautiful fountains and a town square will provide pedestrian-friendly links to apartments, offices, bookstores, music shops, cafes, and theaters. As an added bonus, this attractive setting will ensure easy access for shoppers, workers, and residents.

We are also developing a place called Princess Anne Commons located in the heart of our city at the urban and rural crossroads. Like Town Center, we envision the Commons as a place where people can gather to learn, work, live and play.

The Commons' "Academic Village" includes the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center, Tidewater Community College, Landstown Middle and Elementary School, Landstown High School and Technology Academy, and the Advanced Technology Center. The "Athletic Village" features soccer and ball fields, a field hockey complex, and the Sportsplex stadium. The Commons also includes the Farmers Market, a 20,000'seat amphitheater, and a district park.

Soon to come is a Health Campus that will provide state-of-the art medical care and create hundreds of high-paying jobs. Like the rest of the Commons, the Health Campus will have a park-like atmosphere with walking and biking trails, benches and picnic areas. Restaurants, shops and homes may soon take their place with the existing amenities to make the Commons a gathering place for people from all walks of life.

Nearby is another transition area between the urban and rural parts of our city that we are planning to develop with low-density housing surrounded by open space and laced with walking and riding paths and bike trails. Florida says that such development is another thing that the creative class looks for. They often recharge their batteries by taking a bike ride or a walk during the middle of the day. That requires trails or parks close at hand.

Florida says that a city of ideas protects its natural environment. We agree. Because we recognize that acquiring land for open space, parks, trails and other recreational facilities can stimulate economic development, we created the Virginia Beach Outdoors Plan. We envision this as a long and successful program to support preservation of open space and development of outdoor recreation. Not only that, but we created a history trail that celebrates our past, and we recently recognized 17 historical buildings that serve as a link to our history and our culture.

Virginia Beach is also the home of the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) of Virginia. Located near the oceanfront, the CAC sponsors the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival each June. Now preparing for its 48th season, this event attracts working artists from around the country.

The idea behind the show is to foster awareness and exploration of art. Everyone has the opportunity to enjoy and purchase original works of art and to meet and talk with those who make their living creating art. The show often features artists on their way up, and Sunshine Artist Magazine has had the show on its must-attend list for nine consecutive years.

In my 27 years on the city council and in my 10 years before that on the Library Board, I have always said that we need to teach, nurture and retain our gifted and talented young people — our prime intellectual property and the future members of the creative class. We need to afford them every opportunity from their first days in pre'school through all the days that follow in our academic system. In addition to our first-class school system, Virginia Beach has first-rate libraries and recreation centers located throughout the city. Our residents value intellectual, cultural and recreational opportunities, and our vision is to provide the best.

Professor Florida has given us a framework for future economic development and growth in our cities, and I am quick to recommend that we mayors invite him to elaborate further on his theories at our 71st Annual Conference of Mayors in Denver this June.