Mayor's Blog
“Quality of Place is…the unique set of characteristics that define a place and make it attractive – the interrelated experiences of…
what’s there, who’s there and what’s going on.”
-- Richard Florida, the Urban Land Institute – originator of the term “Quality of Place”
From time to time, someone will ask me about all that is happening in Jasper. They may even question so many projects going on at once or why we want to utilize old buildings. My answer is that we are investing in our quality of place – highlighting and celebrating the unique attributes which make Jasper a city in which people want to live.
The necessities a city provides have always been our strengths: Streets, parks, utilities and safety. Since the turn of the 21st century we have set our sights on a different type of strength: Quality of Place. Three key elements of Quality of Place are:
- Attraction of creative people and talent – to sustain current employers with the people they need to compete in a global environment.
- Authenticity – celebrate Jasper’s rich heritage industries by utilizing former factory space in new ways and for new purposes.
- An ongoing, dynamic process – building from existing neighborhoods and blending together old and new, young and young-at-heart, necessities with amenities.
The vision, planning and implementation of these initiatives are essential to Jasper’s future as a city. Communities failing to invest in components which attract the next generation of citizens will find those potential residents living elsewhere. We can’t afford to take Jasper’s success for granted.
We need your support to help make Jasper “The City of Choice!”
Mayor Terry Seitz
