GOOD Magazine Presents The "GOOD Cities Project," In Collaboration With Ford, Celebrating How We Make Our Cities And How Our Cities Make Us

LOS ANGELES -- Oct. 7, 2014: The 2014 GOOD City Index (GCI) will rank fifty American cities that deliver on eight key attributes for awesome urban living. From great green spaces, and population diversity, to work/life balance and thoughtful transportation planning, the cities that make it on the index will be ranked against their global counterparts. In addition to the Index, GOOD is launching The GOOD Cities Project, a five-month multi-media program in collaboration with Ford Motor Company to drive the cultural conversation about how an evolving definition of success is shaping the places we live in and how we live in them.

The GOOD Cities Project kicked off this month with a love letter to Los Angeles by GOOD CEO Ben Goldhirsh. Ben's love letter will be followed over the next eight weeks with additional letters and content about the cities we love created by a wide variety of influencers including authors, entertainers and artists.

"GOOD wants to highlight the cities that are figuring out their growing pains or flourishing under the radar," explains Goldhirsh. "We find that very often, it's the places with the most hardship that also have the most innovation, the brightest minds, and the people most dedicated to solving big problems in new ways. So that's where we want to go."

The GOOD Cities Project in 2014 is made possible by Ford not just through the resources that will allow for GOOD to invest in this effort, but also through the use of Ford vehicles to enable explorations in cities across the country that can inspire us all. GOOD and Ford are working together with the Los Angeles-based film director David Lynch and the DC-based Emmy award winning photojournalist Josh Cogan among others. During the run of the project, members of the GOOD and Ford networks will offer a view into their city that non-residents typically never see.

"Ford has been woven into the fabric of America for more than 110 years, giving us a very unique perspective on what makes our cities so special," said Kellee Montgomery, Digital and Social Advertising Manager at Ford Motor Company. "The GOOD Cities Project will paint a vivid picture of what we've seen through the eyes of millions of drivers, from coast to coast."

The content created for the GOOD Cities Project will not only live on GOOD's website, it will also appear on billboards in cities across the country including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Videos, infographics and the index itself will be shared through GOOD and Ford's social channels – sparking conversation and debate about whether we got it right – or missed some hidden gems. Of course, GOOD is known for celebrating social innovation and impact with great parties, and this project is no different. The GOOD Cities Project's culminating event will take place mid-November and will bring together a thoughtful, playful, and inspired group of urbanites who are not just increasing the social equity in their cities, but are doing so by engaging their local communities and attracting attention from across the country. Stay tuned for this announcement and check back to GOOD's website or follow #goodcitiesproject to stay current on this project and the conversation.