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CREATIVE
CITY NEWSLETTER: JULY 2002
ISSUE 6: LEADERSHIP
ISSUE IN FOCUS: Leadership
NEWS YOU CAN
USE: Put Your City to the Test
CREATIVE CORNER:
The Blur Building
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Orlando,
FL
Creative City Resources
Upcoming
Events
CREATIVE CITY RESOURCE: Creativity
in the Evolving Workforce
A Creative Cities Thought Paper
Inspiration from the Creative City Project
Partners for Livable Communities latest endeavor, The Creative
City Project, challenges sixteen cities from all over the United
States to use creativity to solve economic and social problems
and improve quality of life in their communities. As the project
ensues, these laboratory cities and Partners are learning that
growth and success are largely dependent on the creativity of
the residents and leaders of these cities.
Creativity and the Workforce
Creative Cities has thus inspired Partners to explore the role
that creativity plays in the one area critical to not only a
region, but the people that inhabit it, and that is the workplace
and workforce. In these times of the New Economy, it is only
natural that there is an equally new workforce to fuel it. Partners
recognizes that over the last few decades there have been drastic
changes to business and the way it functions both internally
and externally. Management and office layout are changed, location
preferences and commuting possibilities are changed and the
demographics of our labor force are also changed.
This paper delves into seven workforce issue areas that have
been seriously altered in the last 30 years due to a gained
knowledge of the value of creativity, the adjustments in gender
and race equality in the workforce and the location choices
of employees and businesses. These areas are:
1. Commuting
2. Telecommuting
3. Women in the Workforce
4. Children and Childcare
5. Changes in Education
6. Quality of Life and Creative Employee Benefits
7. The Long-term Effects of Sept. 11, 2001
COMMUTING
A very important component of today's evolving creative workforce
is their commute. Commuting can often factor into the overall
happiness that an employee feels for his/her position and employers
are beginning to take note.
In these times of urban sprawl and new development, commutes
are getting longer and longer and therefore, becoming more and
more influential to people in choosing work. Companies are moving
from downtown to suburban areas, making some people have to
commute from suburb to suburb, which is often further than the
suburb to downtown drive. People are moving too, further into
the suburbs in search of larger houses, bigger backyards, and
better schools. In 1990, 12.5% of adults were spending more
than 45 minutes each way to work.
A longer commute means more cars on the road, (72.3% of people
drive to work) putting over 143 millions private vehicles into
use. Only 5.3% of the working population uses mass transit.
So what does that mean? Traffic, congestion, air pollution.
In response employees of the New Economy are finding new, creative,
and more entertaining ways to get to work.
Creative Use of Commute Time
People admit to coming up with many ways to enjoy their commute,
and Corporate America is striving to do their part as well.
Commuters have admitted to making up mind games and talking
to themselves to make the time pass a little faster. Some enjoy
the time alone in the privacy of their car because it is the
only time in the day they have to themselves to think things
over and relax.
New Economy technology has also come up with a few ideas to
ease the trip along that the unaided mind cannot create. Cell
phones with hands-free units and books on tape are recent products
that provide entertainment while allowing the driver to keep
their eye on the road. Items like cell phones and laptops can
extend the workday, turning commute time into a money making
opportunity. That is time that will not have to be spent at
home when employees could be with their families instead.
Creative Ways to Commute
As well as finding new ways to fill the commute time, people
are finding new ways to do the commute time. These new ways
provide people with time to exercise, enjoy their hobbies, and
spend time with friends in ways that are typically more environmentally
friendly than the half-hour solo drive.
Walking and Biking People are using their commute as excuse
to exercise and spend time outdoors. Walking has health and
environmental benefits. For those that want the time outdoors
without the workout, electric bikes are a new possibility.
Flying Some commuters with pilot licenses are grabbing a few
co-workers and flying small planes to their area of work. The
pilot enjoys a hobby and everyone involved gets a fun, unique
and fast ride to work.
Slugging A relatively new term for when a group of people meet
at a designated location and are picked up and driven to work.
Car Sharing This is an option for commuters that do not need
their car while they are at work and those that need a car only
during the work day. One person drives to work, and another
uses the car while that person is in the office, eliminating
the need for parking and one extra car in the area.
Car/Van Pooling People that are going to the same place for
work can car pool to save gas and gain company. There are also
car/van pool matching services to help people going to the same
area find one another.
Guaranteed Ride This program is for people who are interested
in creative ways to
Home Program get to work but fear an emergency will arise and
they will need a car. The program guarantees that the commuter
will be able to get wherever the emergency may take them by
providing taxi cab vouchers for the participant.
Park and Ride Many bus and rail lines are beginning to offer
this service to increase ridership. Park and Ride programs put
a parking lot near bus and rail stations so that people who
are not within walking distance have an opportunity to use these
services.
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