cover story The region’s night life includes formal events such as this one at Center in the Square in Roanoke.
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JUNE 2015
Yes, he says, Virginia Tech is a major attraction to retain young adults or to attract midcareer professionals. Yet more than half the people who work at the center hold degrees from other schools and were recruited for their skills. Attracting those people means paying attention to things such as low business costs and cultural facilities. Defining an area’s quality of life may be elusive, but one thing is certain: no community can be what it isn’t. “I don’t think you can build an artificial quality of life,” says Doughty. “In only six years this region’s community narrative has changed from an ‘old railroad town’ to an ‘outdoors town.’ That’s because the story about the outdoors was pieced together and told to the people who live here, first and foremost. Yet, it would not have taken root if it was artificial. You can’t sell a product that doesn’t produce what you say it will.” Yet a community can develop what it already has. For guidance on enhancing their areas, communities turn to documents such as the Soul of the Community study conducted in 26 U.S. cities by the James L. Knight Foundation from 2008 through 2010. It set out to answer these questions: “What makes residents love where they live? What draws people to a place and keeps them there?” The study found that “social offerings” were among the most prominent among reasons a person feels attached to a place. Social offerings include a vibrant night life, gathering places, cultural opportunities and the feeling that people in the community care about each other. Two other prominent attributes were “openness,” defined as a community that welcomes all types of people, and “aesthetics,” physical beauty, parks and open space. Education was important, but respondents throughout the 26 cities had greater praise for higher education than for K-12 public schools. The study concluded commuPhoto by Don Petersen