FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 8, 2004
Contact: Tom Uribes (559) 278-5366 or 246-1717

"Why Fresno? Why Not Fresno?" Online Survey Asks
Important Questions about Fresno's Quality Of Life

FRESNO -- Young residents of Fresno have an opportunity to express their opinions on what it means to live here through a survey by Creative Fresno in collaboration with the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fresno.

Creative Fresno, an organization dedicated to improving Fresno's economy and quality of life, is seeking to gather information about livability and quality of life in Fresno — with a particular focus on young professionals, creative professionals, recent graduates, and students.

The online survey developed by the Lyles Center is available at www.creativefresno.org as well as www.lylescenter.com.

The goal of the online survey is to gather data that will help city planners better understand what characteristics are important when people select a place to work and live, said Dr. Timothy Stearns, Lyles Center director and business professor at Fresno State.

The survey, which asks questions about important factors in deciding where to live and why, should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, Stearns said.

Mayor Alan Autry and City of Fresno Councilmember Henry Perea asked Creative Fresno to develop a list of policy recommendations that would encourage, attract and retain creative and young talent in Fresno.

Perea said Creative Fresno believes that attracting and retaining young talent is a key component for thriving communities.

"There's a false notion out there that if you are young, creative, and entrepreneurial, that Fresno is not the best place for you," Perea said.

Creative Fresno aims to change that perception.

Research shows that the workforce of tomorrow wants to live in a vibrant community, and employers will locate where the qualified workforce resides.

As best-selling author Richard Florida put it in The Creative Class, “Creativity has come to be valued — and systems have evolved to encourage and harness it — because new technologies, new industries, new wealth and all other good economic things flow from it.”

Creative Fresno hopes that the survey will help Fresno build on its strengths — such as being affordable for entrepreneurs who are starting new ventures — so that it can become a center of innovation and a destination for young artists, designers, and other idea people, Stearns said.

“All information gathered for the survey will be used to help Creative Fresno understand what characteristics of a location are important,” he said. “No information about specific respondents will be released. The information will be aggregated to show trends that will be useful for community decision makers.”

The Lyles Center, located at Shaw and Chestnut Avenues across from at Fresno State until its permanent home is ready in the Save Mart Center West Complex, is one of the leading entrepreneurial centers in California and assists both students and community members in pursuit of their entrepreneurial goals.

For more information: (559) 294-2045.


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Copy prepared by University Communications staff members.


 

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