Inherent Attractiveness of Place:
Summary and Implications
We've measured Inherent Attractiveness of Place in four areas — strength of center, home values, mobility, and strength of the urban core and first suburbs. Each chart or graph on these pages was assigned a rating based on how the Kansas City region compared to its peers or, in the case of indicators only available for the Kansas City area, on how favorably they reflected on the region. The ratings are shown in the chart below:
Average Rating: 1.92
The Kansas City region's urban center is relatively weak compared to most of its peer metros, and this is reflected in how the region fares in the national housing market.
The region excels at providing attractive neighborhoods relatively free from road congestion. The flip side of low road congestion, however, is reduced vitality in the urban core and first suburbs. This costs everyone, including the developing suburbs, where incomes grew less than in developing suburbs of peers with stronger cores.
Trends may be reversing, however, as income growth in some parts of the older parts of the Kansas City region began to grow during the 1990s.
While talented people value low traffic congestion as much as anyone, they also desire a region that provides an exciting urban environment. The Kansas City region is nearer the beginning of providing such a choice than its more successful peers.
What can we do to improve as a region? Read our policy recommendations, and let us know what you think.
Next set of indicators: Social Cohesion
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