Creative Class

This week, Forbes and Joel Kotkin released a  list of the “world’s smartest cities.”

“In today’s parlance a “smart” city often refers to a place with a “green” sustainable agenda. Yet this narrow definition of intelligence ignores many other factors–notably upward mobility and economic progress–that have characterized successful cities in the past.

The green-only litmus test dictates cities should emulate either places with less-than-dynamic economies, like Portland, Ore., or Honolulu, or one of the rather homogeneous and staid Scandinavian capitals. In contrast, I have determined my “smartest” cities not only by looking at infrastructure and livability, but also economic fundamentals.”

The list included:

1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. Curitiba, Brazil
4. Monterrey, Mexico
5. Amsterdam
6. Seattle, Washington
7. Houston, Texas
8. Charleston, South Carolina
9. Huntsville, Alabama
10. Calgary, Alberta

Are these really the “smartest cities?“

At least, ban their use in meetings suggests a Forbes article this week.

Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. To avoid wasting time in meetings, hardcore multitaskers sit there with their faces glued to their BlackBerrys, reading e-mails while they follow the discussion with one ear. But all they are doing is making the meeting longer for everyone else.

“Being busy and being productive are not the same,” says Denise Landers, a time-management consultant based in Houston. “I definitely believe that banning BlackBerrys from a conference room would lead to shorter and more effective meetings. We simply cannot multitask and perform at 100%.”

….

Another recent study, this one by the University of Texas at Austin, offers hope. Titled “The Social Influences of Electronic Multitasking in Organizational Meetings,” this report concludes that people don’t multitask because they have to; they multitask simply because they can. They see other people reading e-mail during meetings, so they do it too. But if the office culture discourages multitasking during meetings, they will stop, and focus on the issue at hand.

Even deeply ingrained habits are subject to change over time, Crenshaw notes. As every fan of Mad Men knows, smokers once routinely lit up during meetings. Now they don’t. The same thing can happen to multitasking.

“I view myself as an evangelist,” he says. “It’s going to take probably another decade of talking about this before people get the message.”

Does your workplace have a Blackberry policy? Do you?

Where I work people rarely if ever use a Blackberry while in a meeting, unless to look something up or to take a quick glance to ensure no emergencies have arisen (a few colleagues need to be available 24/7 to put out virtual “fires”). If the senior people and mentors follow this policy, it seems others stay in line.

Joel Kotkin writing in Forbes has apparently just discovered that cities like New York and San Francisco are unequal and (get this) that such rising inequality threatens social cohesion and long-run economic prosperity.

Higher costs–manifested in everyday expenses like sales taxes and energy bills–now contribute in a large way to growing inequality even in the richest, most elite cities. When housing and other costs are factored in, notes researcher Deborah Reed of the left-leaning Public Policy Institute of California, deep-blue mainstays Los Angeles and San Francisco rank among the top 10 counties in America with respect to the percentage of people in poverty. Only New York and Washington, D.C., do worse.

Here’s a list of the most unequal large metro regions -those with over 1 million people – from way back in 2003.

Could this be related to the world being… ahem… spiky?

Las Vegas takes top spot, followed by Detroit. Atlanta, Greensboro, and Dayton round out the top five. Phoenix comes in sixth. No surprises there. But, I was surprised frankly to see Chicago make the list. Here’s the full list, from Forbes.com, based on fourth-quarter rental and homeowner vacancy rates for the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country. Curiously, there is considerable overlap with this Forbes list of the places where home sales are rising fastest.

Forbes.com lists the best places for real estate to rebound (h/t: Dean Alexander): Seattle, San Francisco, D.C., New York, and L.A. come out on top. Hard-hit Detroit is last.

Prosperity Institute researchers Patrick Adler and Ronnie Sanders compare this to the creativity index. The Forbes’ rebounders have a creativity index score (.852) some 30 percent more than the hardest-hit group (.619).

Although employer interest in making workplaces fun, healthy, and productive places has grown over the past decade, some workplaces still cause problems.

Forbes and The Financial Post asked this week, “Is your office making you sick?” Here are some things to watch for:

1. Workplaces and “cold” symptoms:

Everything from mold spores to office furniture that lets off formaldehyde gases to changes in humidity can affect a worker’s upper respiratory system. If you suffer from the sniffles, “the best thing to do is to get an industrial hygienist,” says Berman. Multiple employee complaints may indicate “sick building syndrome,” and an industrial hygienist will be able to test the air for toxins and irritants and advise a company on how to improve the air quality.

2. Workplaces and stress (part I)

Despite many valid concerns, Dr. Berman says he also hears from workers who experience “phantom air quality issues” where testing has shown no traceable toxins.

“It’s amazing the kinds of things that can create an air quality issue where there isn’t one,” says Dr. Berman. Stress, conflict, and low morale can all contribute to perceived air quality issues.

3. Workplaces and stress (part II)

According to findings compiled last year by researchers at the Healthy Lifestyle Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the No. 1 stressor in their lives.

4. Muscle aches

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, almost 2 million workers suffer from such musculoskeletal disorders, including elbow tendinitis, wrist pain, and lower back problems.

“We tell people to try to find their comfort zone and follow some guidelines,” she says. Jacobs recommends that workers shift positions frequently, stretch regularly, and equip their desks with the basics, including an adjustable chair, keyboard tray, foot rest, and proper lighting.

The article suggests that office workers need to take charge of their overall health by leading a healthy lifestyle as well as acting to reduce stress and workplace irritants.

It’s hard to be creative if you can’t breath properly, your back hurts, and your job is generating unnecessary stress.

Does your workplace negatively affect your health?