Exploring perceptions of creativity and walkability in Omaha, NE

It has been suggested that vibrant, walkable urban spaces may contribute to enhanced creativity and innovation by facilitating social interaction and physical activity, and serving as a source of inspiration. Using a survey and participant mapping exercise, this paper examines the potential spatial association between walkability and creativity in Omaha, Nebraska. Randomly selected participants were mailed a survey and map, requesting that they identify either three walkable or three creative locations within the Omaha area. The spatial correlation between the two variables was assessed in part using a newly developed spatial point pattern test. In addition to using perceptions of walkability, an objective measure provided by Walk Score® was employed to further evaluate potential associations. The overall correlation between the two variables was strong; with few exceptions, hotspots of walkability and creativity frequently overlapped. Potential differences in resident perceptions by age, income, education, and residential location were also examined

Are walkable places tech incubators? Evidence from Nebraska’s ‘Silicon Prairie’

This study examines the spatial association between science- and technology-related entrepreneurship and neighbourhood walkability in eastern Nebraska, often referred to as the northern ‘Silicon Prairie’. Tech start-up firms are expected to gravitate toward more walkable or pedestrian-oriented urban locations to benefit from heightened social interaction, knowledge spillovers and a more vibrant, creative atmosphere. Data on start-up firms collected from the online database Crunchbase.com and a walkability index provided by the popular online service Walk Score® were used to evaluate the walkability–tech entrepreneurship nexus. The spatial relationship between walkability and firm location may have important implications for metropolitan areas seeking to incubate new firms and industries in situ, and potentially become leaders in new, innovative industries

Do “creative” and “non-creative” workers exhibit similar preferences for urban amenities? An exploratory case study of Omaha, Nebraska

Research into the locational decisions of creative class or knowledge workers has indicated that “classic” or “hard” factors, particularly employment opportunity and social connections, generally take precedence over “soft”, “quality of place” amenities such as art and cultural venues, historical assets, and tolerance/diversity. However, “soft” amenities are expected to shape where creative class/knowledge workers live within cities, and potentially whether they remain in the community long-term, or seek opportunities elsewhere. In this study, an online survey and questionnaire were employed to explore whether residents living in downtown Omaha, Nebraska with “creative” occupations exhibit stronger preferences for urban amenities relative to those with “non-creative” occupations. Generally in support of Richard Florida’s creative class thesis, the results suggest that creative workers may exhibit a stronger affinity for certain, primarily “soft,” urban amenities and characteristics, such as dining establishments, “third places”, arts/cultural venues, unique sense of place, and the hip, trendy, and youthful feel of Omaha’s downtown neighborhoods

Pedestrian exposure to near-roadway PM2.5 in mixed-use urban corridors: A case study of Omaha, Nebraska

Compact, mixed-use, and pedestrian-oriented urban developments may offer numerous environmental and health benefits, yet they may also facilitate pedestrian exposure to air pollution within the near-roadway environment. This research examines ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across six sites situated within central Omaha, Nebraska, a mid-sized metropolitan area located in the Midwest US. The sites ranged from a low-density, strip-mall development to moderate-density entertainment, commercial, and retail districts with varying degrees of horizontal and vertical mixed-use. Tracing approximately two kilometer routes along the sidewalk, factors affecting average and peak PM2.5 concentrations at each site were identified using a mobile data cart capable of simultaneously recording video and sampling PM2.5. In general, sidewalk PM2.5 concentrations, averaged for each outing, were similar to “background” values obtained at a nearby fixed monitoring station (FMS). The results of a linear regression analysis suggest that 56% of the variability in sidewalk PM2.5 were attributable to background concentrations. Short-duration peak concentrations of up to 360 μg m−3 were associated primarily with vehicle tailpipe emissions and tobacco smoke. At four of the six study sites, pedestrian volume was higher on days and times when PM2.5 concentrations were comparatively low. Implications for policy and planning are discussed

Gods of the City? Reflecting on City Building Games as an Early Introduction to Urban Systems

For millions of gamers and students alike, city building games (CBGs) like SimCity and the more recent Cities: Skylines present a compelling initial introduction to the world of urban planning and development. As such, these games have great potential to shape players’ understanding and expectations of real urban patterns and processes. In this article I argue that, despite the fundamental role of agency in CBGs and other sandbox type games, players are constrained by the developers’ assumptions and biases regarding how cities ought to look and function. Of particular consideration is the tendency among CBGs to emphasize personal transportation over transit, autocentric over mixed-use development, and simplified social dynamics over a more realistic model

Mapping Creative Spaces in Omaha, NE: Resident Perceptions versus Creative Firm Locations

In an era increasingly shaped by automation and globalization, industries that rely on creativity, innovation, and knowledge-generation are considered key drivers of economic growth in the U.S. and other advanced capitalist economies. This study examines the spatial distribution of creative firms and how they might align with perceptions of creativity in Omaha, Nebraska, a mid-sized U.S. urban area. Utilizing a survey, participant mapping exercise, and geospatial analyses, the primary goal was to identify formal and informal spaces of creative production and consumption, and determine to what extent the location of creative firms (both arts/mediaand science/technology-focused) may shape perceptions of creativity across the urban landscape. The results suggest that local area residents primarily view dense, vibrant, mixed-use, and often historic urban neighborhoods as particularly creative, whether or not there exists a dense concentration of creative firms. Similarly, creative firms were more spatially diffuse than the clusters of “creative locations” identified by residents, and were more frequently found in suburban locations. Furthermore, while there was no discernible difference among “creative” and “non-creative” workers, science/technology firms were more likely than arts/media firms to be found in suburban locations, and less likely to be associated with perceptions of creativity in Omaha

Pedestrian exposure to near-roadway PM2.5 in mixed-use urban corridors: A case study of Omaha, Nebraska

Compact, mixed-use, and pedestrian-oriented urban developments may offer numerous environmental and health benefits, yet they may also facilitate pedestrian exposure to air pollution within the near-roadway environment. This research examines ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across six sites situated within central Omaha, Nebraska, a mid-sized metropolitan area located in the Midwest US. The sites ranged from a low-density, strip-mall development to moderate-density entertainment, commercial, and retail districts with varying degrees of horizontal and vertical mixed-use. Tracing approximately two kilometer routes along the sidewalk, factors affecting average and peak PM2.5 concentrations at each site were identified using a mobile data cart capable of simultaneously recording video and sampling PM2.5. In general, sidewalk PM2.5 concentrations, averaged for each outing, were similar to “background” values obtained at a nearby fixed monitoring station (FMS). The results of a linear regression analysis suggest that 56% of the variability in sidewalk PM2.5 were attributable to background concentrations. Short-duration peak concentrations of up to 360 μg m−3 were associated primarily with vehicle tailpipe emissions and tobacco smoke. At four of the six study sites, pedestrian volume was higher on days and times when PM2.5 concentrations were comparatively low. Implications for policy and planning are discussed

Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes

This paper explores inequity in neighborhood walkability at the micro-scale level by qualitatively examining six streetscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A photographic survey is used to highlight differences in the quality and design of the built environment among pairs of streetscapes with high or low social vulnerability but approximately equal quantitative Walk Scores®. The survey revealed discernible differences in the quality and maintenance of the built environment among those in more and less disadvantaged neighborhoods. This was true of several characteristics expected to affect walkability, including enclosure, transparency, complexity, and tidiness. Streetscapes in neighborhoods with high social vulnerability exhibited less contiguous street walls, fewer windows and less transparent storefronts, less well maintained infrastructure, fewer street cafés, and overall less complexity than those in neighborhoods with low social vulnerability. Implications for planning and policy are discussed

Neighborhood diversity and the creative class in Chicago

Richard Florida\u27s creative class theory posits that highly skilled workers with creative- or knowledge-intensive occupations are particularly sensitive to ‘quality of place’, a key component of which is an open and tolerant attitude toward different peoples, cultures, and lifestyles. While diversity, as a proxy for tolerance, has proven to be a relatively weak pull-factor at the inter-metropolitan level, the potential role of neighborhood-level diversity in the residential location of creative class workers has yet to be explored empirically. In this study we use ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) to test the hypothesis that there exists significant associations between particular types of neighborhood diversity (i.e., sexual orientation, language, race, and income) and the proportion of workers with specific creative class occupations. The results of our Chicago case study suggest a significant positive relationship between the creative class and the proportion of gay households and income diversity, but not racial or linguistic diversity. Overall, diversity appears to play a limited role in predicting where creative class workers reside, though the GWR analysis indicated substantial spatial variation in the strength of association between neighborhood diversity and creative class share across the study area

Neighborhood diversity plays a limited role in the residential preferences of creative class workers in Chicago

Recent theories about the rise of the ‘creative class’ suggest that skilled workers in knowledge-intensive jobs are attracted to cities which contain cultural amenities and a diverse population. In new research using Chicago census tract data, Bradley Bereitschaft and Rex Cammack test this theory. They find that neighborhood diversity is a weak predictor of where creative class workers chose to live, and that more traditional factors, such as home values, schools, and transport were more likely to predict a higher proportion of creative class workers in a neighborhood