When you're looking for a new city in which to open a business where you'll be your own boss, you want to make sure you find a place where everyone's interested in improving life for themselves and others. A city that's given up on itself is never a smart business bet. At the same time, savvy business owners know that you need to get in on the ground floor to get the best opportunities. You want somewhere with social programs, investment opportunities, and room for improvement. That city is Riverside, California.

Although Riverside never really fell into ruin like some of the other inland California cities, it has gone through some rough patches thanks to the recession and the sub prime mortgage prices spreading unemployment and ruining people's deck plans. But Riverside isn't content to roll over and accept its new lot. It's actively trying to turn things around with a project known as the Riverside Renaissance. The program is designed to bring 30 years of improvements to the city in just five years, and it can be a boon to any business.

The fact that Riverside has become increasingly popular with new residents has helped to fund the initiative, which will cost more than 1.5 billion dollars by the time it's completed (that's a sum that would buy a lot of diapers!) The main thrust of the program is to improve infrastructure in Riverside and therefore the quality of life for residents and visitors. The project isn't limited by neighborhood or city ward, but by the type of project, so that improvements will be spread evenly across the city and go where they're most needed.

The program is underway right now and has been since 2006. Some projects in the design phase, some in the bidding phase, others in the utility locating and construction phase, and some already completed. The projects fall under six different categories: parks, public safety, arts and culture, public utilities, public works, and airport, so it's unlike other initiatives, which tend to focus on only one specific kind of improvement. To help residents keep track of the progress, the city has set up a special blog for the Riverside Renaissance at www.riversiderenaissance.org.

So what kind of projects does the Riverside Renaissance include? We'll give you some examples (the list is far too long for us to be comprehensive here!). Fairmount Lake has been rehabilitated with the help of industrial water treatment chemicals. The airport is undergoing noise control improvements. The Metropolitan Museum is being earthquake-proofed. Canyon Crest is getting a new fire station. Street lights are being put in downtown. Utilities are being put underground in many areas, and the list goes on.