Despite high living costs, the city's cultural resources and its reputation as a exciting place to live lure people to the area. The academic community is an important part of this environment, but Boston is also home to the nation s largest concentration of healthcare and medical research facilities, a major biotech industry, information technology firms, and other knowledge-based industries. It takes more than central planning and government funding to ensure a successful academic and high-tech future. A tradition of academic excellence is important, as is an environment of academic and intellectual freedom. Scholars work best in an atmosphere of freedom.
Size is important, too.
Small academic communities can be quite good, even world-class, but can seldom achieve the highest academic pinnacles. Take Sweden or Denmark as examples. An environment that encourages but does not dictate university development or academe's relations with industry and government has been key to Boston s academic strength. Diversification is important, too. There is room for different kinds of schools, with different aims, patterns of funding, varying quality.