Quality of Life: Perpetuate a high quality of life for Minneapolitans that includes safe, open and welcoming cultural and social institutions, as well as natural and built infrastructure.

A high quality of life is essential to a city’s economic competitiveness. A city and region that can offer its residents desirable lifestyle attractions can more easily recruit, develop and retain businesses and workforces. Minneapolis often appears in the top tier of lists of desirable places to live, work, play and visit. These desirable places are communities that have tradition and history, but are also open, innovative and welcoming. They have cultural and social capital that cannot be found everywhere: arts and cultural institutions, history, entertainment, unique sites, food culture, parks, interesting neighborhoods and social offerings.

These cities also have strong public, civic, religious and nonprofit institutions, access to information and services, robust commercial areas, mixed-income communities, diverse populations, and access to transportation, clean water, living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and healthy food. Residents experience a sense of belonging, stability, and safety. In addition, these are cities where all residents have equal access to these elements, regardless of where they live or their race and ethnicity.