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Houston, TX The New York Times announces “The 46 Places to Go in 2013“ Now this is not just a list of interesting spots. Oh, no. This is a list of “THE” places you must visit, and because the places have been precisely and lovingly vetted and curated, there are exactly 46 of them. Not 50 places, because [...] 
One explanation why different states think the way they do I’ve looked for explanations why there are geographic pockets of behavior or thinking. I’ve looked for reasons to explain why some attributes, conditions, traits, behaviors, qualities and characteristics seem to cluster in certain areas, while residents of other places tend towards the opposite. Why do certain [...] Forbes has released a new slideshow, “America’s 20 Dirtiest Cities“, which is based mostly on data readily available on our Sperling’s BestPlaces website (www.bestplaces.net). The Forbes list and the story is pretty straightforward; a call out of the large U.S. metro areas with the worst scores for air and water quality, plus measures of toxic releases and Superfund [...] I was reminded that I promised to do a follow-up to my blog post about Stephen Bloom’s article in The Atlantic, which lambasted his home state of Iowa, its residents and its way of life. If it sounds like I’m exaggerating, read the original article here. Mr. Bloom justifies his criticism variously as “unspeakable truths,” [...] 
There have been a number of news stories over the last two years about how the wealthy are fleeing states which have increased taxes on the highest tax brackets. I’ll show you this line of thinking is not borne out by the facts, and is irrational to boot. Here’s an example; a new story from [...] You’ve seen the news – Dallas, Texas has been hit hard by major tornado activity. I can’t say I’m surprised, because about this time last year the New York Times published my rankings of Natural Disaster Risk. And my top pick of the 379 metros areas in the United States? Yes, Dallas. Check out the link to [...] 
I use a lot of metrics to measure and rate the quality of life in different cities and towns. I haven’t seen anyone else use this particular measure but I think it provides a good insight into the sociological health of a place. So, I was heartened to read about a trend in New York [...] In the study of cities, getting bigger is usually seen as desirable if not inevitible. So interesting issues are raised when growth starts to bring with it some questionable effects. image: http://williamlitchfield.wordpress.com/ Austin, Texas has been a sanctuary for pickers, singers and painters for generations. The problem is, the creative class is starting to get squeezed out. People move [...] Our Best Cities for Military Retirement and Second Careers study is a making a big splash in the media. The team at Fleishman-Hillard PR orchestrated a great campaign for our USAA-sponsored study. A big front-page above-the-fold feature in USA Today: Job-Seeking Veterans. Forbes.com featured a two-page story and a slide show, and the American Morning show on [...] Finding a job these days is tough enough, but holding one down while being a mom raises a whole new set of concerns. I was consulted by Forbes for a recent study that looked at the Best Cities for Working Mothers. This is the study’s third year, and I think you’ll find the results interesting. You [...] |
Some call me "the Best Places Guy".
For nearly three decades, I've worked to find what makes a livable city or community. My work finds its way into popular culture on a regular basis. I've written books on the subject and have a popular web site - bestplaces.net. I currently live in Oregon, USA, my own best place.
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Copyright © 2013 Bert Sperling - All Rights Reserved |
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