The university town of tomorrow looks to combine the concepts of open universities*, the Stanford/MIT model of pre-graduation job placement, location in a vibrant neighborhood with quality nightlife, and the living/learning environment, such as the University of Maryland Hinman CEO program.

What would an open university in a community look like?  See tomorrow’s entry.

*Open universities in the U.S. are essentially distance-learning schools, but overseas they are much larger and focus on a

read more…

Other than quality of life, providing great jobs upon graduation is a key reason a city won’t lose its university-generated talent.  The question is how?

The concept of learning communities involves integrating learning with the real world, and Stanford is a model for creating a business learning community.

Stanford’s Office of University Corporate Relations offers a corporate dream guide for its students - not only is there an ongoing research partnership with the hottest Fortune 500

read more…

Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The presence of MIT and Harvard is really only telling half the story.  Places like Harvard Square and programs like the MIT Media Lab play a major factor in that ranking.

The bottom line is that the top engineering and biologist graduates from Harvard still want to date, party or at least meet interesting people.  That just doesn’t happen if the area around even the most prestigious school isn’t happening.

Harvard Square is a mecca for nightlife, entertainment and

read more…

It doesn’t take rocket science to realize that the wealth of cities is often directly related to the wealth of talent graduating from its local universities, such as Silicon Valley and Stanford, or Cambridge/Boston and Harvard/MIT.

However, it doesn’t take much to realize it’s not a sure thing either, as students from Carnegie Mellon and Univ. of Penn. will attest there’s not much incentive to stay once they graduate.

Ask just about any student and there’s two things that will keep many of

read more…

Progressive investors are hard at work to provide next generation communities where third places are the rule, not the exception.  Here are some of the prerequisites for attracting third places:

1. Build an attractive environment for creative entrepreneurs, the very people who start third places.  That’s essentially a CoolTown.
2. Make tenant space as affordable as possible.  The more creative, the more risk is involved, so a little financial support is vital.
3. Have hundreds of creative

read more…

You would if you’re the Third Place Coffeehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Their “Local Honey” CD is a compilation of local artists that have played at Raleigh’s favorite third place, which is also featured in Ray Oldenburg’s Celebrating the Third Place.

The popular watering hole is also known for its staff’s musical compilations, that is, whoever is working the current shift gets to play their own music.  So the place isn’t only a venue for live bands, spicy conversation and great food,

read more…

What’s the equivalent of the piazza in Italy when it comes to third places?  Maybe the communal dining table.

In the heart of Old Town, Alexandria, VA, The Best Coffeehouse in the Washington DC Area (as voted by the readers of Washingtonian Magazine), Misha’s takes its coffee more than seriously.  However, its popularity largely permeates from the sense that you can spend the whole afternoon there free of guilt, especially at their communal table (pictured).  One of my friends should know -

read more…

There’s no better way to communicate the concept of the third place than to experience one.  The author of the book on third places wrote a sequel, Celebrating the third place: Inspiring Stories about the “Great Good Places” at the Heart of Our Communities to help you out.

Here are the following third places listed in the book:  Annie’s Gift & Garden Shop, Amherst MA; The Third Place Coffeehouse, Raleigh NC; Crossroads, Bellevue WA; Horizon Books, Traverse City MI; Old St. George, Cleveland

read more…

The first place is your home. The second place is your workplace. The third place is where you hang out in between. Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term and wrote the book on it, referring to them as the ‘anchors’ of community life that facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction.

Think of that cool indie coffeehouse or pub “where everybody knows your name“. A successful city or neighborhood is full of great third places. If you aren’t motivated to leave home or your

read more…

Here’s where CoolTown-oriented institutional investors are putting their capital to create sustainable job growth:

1. $1 million in matching funds (another $1 million to be matched by a public entity) for development of a specific industry, an existing local strength.
2. $1 million in matching funds for a venture capital fund to invest in that specific industry.
3. Substantial affordable office space and living units for the entrepreneurial-minded.
4. Numerous third places (see next week

read more…