Happy Hours and Public Schools

(Lately I've been really interested in the connection with public schools and economic development. If you have comments or want to share articles you've read in this subject, feel free to leave them in the comments box. I intend to write more on the subject, this is just a set up. =) Thanks, JP)

Imagine you desire to go out to a restaurant in your neighborhood. You have heard about a great place that serves free appetizers and really cheap drinks and you've heard of its great atmosphere but as you pull into the parking lot you see something very telling about a restaurant. The parking lot is empty, then you notice that there are only 3 other people in the restaurant on a Friday night at 7pm. Suspecting that potentially there may have been a unforeseen gastrointestinal epidemic you vacate the scene.

You pull into the second best restaurant in your town, a little further drive out of your way, but still a fine place for drinks and a meal. You pull in and see you see people in the windows, a friendly atmosphere, as you walk in and are greeted over a low roar of chatter you decide to stay, despite the 20 minute wait because people are here.
The same kind of affect happens within cities, we stay and go where there is a population density that gives us comfort (safety in numbers is our adage). It’s the reason that bars and restaurants have happy hours, if you see people in the window between 4-6; you’ll probably come by for dinner at 7.

The latest 2010 census revealed the hollowing out of St Louis city and more people retreating to St Charles county and other further destinations. And this pattern of sprawling out has continued for the last 20 or more years.

The post-dispatch ran a series late last year called “Can St Louis compete?” addressing the St Louis region and issues of economic growth in businesses and attracting new talent to the region. How do we bring in businesses and fresh talent? How do we fight this epidemic of those fleeing to the county and beyond?
On the Regional Chamber of Commerce’s website they list all the lists of reasons people may want to live in St Louis region, yet the downtown keeps hollowing out.

The Arch renovation competition brought in great architects and designers to imagine and develop a great tourist destination that will bring people from miles around to our Grand city. And don’t we want a vibrant downtown that has people there more hours between just 9-5? But the businesses that develop simply from the Arch grounds may not be enough.

For so long perhaps we’ve been asking the wrong question, “How do you bring in business?” This assumes that business alone equates to economic development of a city. It is clear even as the city hollows out there is much business downtown but the people who work downtown are very happy to commute from a long ways away.

When it comes to real estate purchasing and settling into a home, the two most common factors for middle income families are local amenities and public schools.

People will live in the best public school district that they can afford.
Although new businesses may emerge from the Arch renovations and our beloved Cardinals Stadium these things make not a densely populated city.

In order to (re)build this city and achieve a densely populated, sustainable devleoping city, a high achieving school district is the equivalent to happy hours.