Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Innovative edge lives outdoors

CEO for cities wrote the below post that suggests a relationship between a city's outdoor recreational options and its "innovative edge." It's not an earth shattering type of finding since it's already been shown that exercise greatly enhances brain function, but still it's useful and meaningful data that further supports our need to foster a healthier community full of outdoor recreational options to chose from.
Doing this also means healthier more creative kids which is what excites me even more than boosting our "innovative edge."

"A recent analysis of Portland’s athletic and outdoor cluster released by Portland Development Commission may also shed light on clusters.

Joe Cortright, a collaborator on the study says:

“The athletic and outdoor cluster is remarkable for many reasons. The jobs in Portland are at the apex of a global industry. Firms in the industry depend heavily on the local talent base, which is producing entrepreneurs and spinoff firms, and also attracting businesses to locate or relocate here. And the industry's innovative edge draws heavily from its close connections to the region's outdoor culture. Athletic and outdoor firms learn from and extend the region's "hybrid lifestyle"--blending work and play, and turn this knowledge into new designs and products. And the athletic and outdoor industry is a critical component of the region's creative industries.”

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