When people who live in Toledo talk about the area, many describe it as a family-friendly place with relatively low crime, negotiable traffic and an array of outstanding cultural attractions.

Doesn’t that just about define “liveable?”

The judges in the 2007 International Awards for Liveable Communities thought so, naming our home the third-best place to live in its category, in the world. Competing against such cities as Edogawa City, Japan; Lyon, France; Malmo, Sweden; Manukau, New Zealand; Niagara, Canada; and Wenjiang, China, a delegation led by Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner came back with a great distinction that brings an international spotlight to the Glass City.

The 10-year-old award has a history of honoring Midwest cities such as Des Moines, Iowa (1998), Chicago Park (2000), Coralville, Iowa (2000) and Chicago (2001 and 2002). There must be some quality to our region of the world the organization recognizes as special.

But it’s not just smaller towns. Los Angeles (2000), Seattle (2003) and Honolulu (2004) have also been honored by the awards, so it’s a credible and sought-after distinction.

No, it’s not a panacea to the area’s challenges, and while it may not translate into jobs overnight, it’s a great way to introduce our strengths and resources to a global audience, in a time when globalization is the key to success.

So congratulations, Toledo. Just this once, let the cheers drown out the boos, and let us celebrate and feel good about our home. The challenges and negatives will be there tomorrow, but for today, let’s accept the compliment with grace.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at

tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under TFP Version 1.
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