What makes a city a good place to live? Practical features are important, such as well-maintained streets, good public transit and reliable trash collection. So are amenities that make cities attractive and interesting, such as museums and public parks. Access to green space is especially valuable for residents who may not be able to travel easily beyond city limits.

LINCOLN — When they jumped into action a few years ago, Liz Shea-McCoy and friends knew little more than they did not want to see the Pershing Center mosaic mural destroyed.

They got an expert to tell them whether a rescue was feasible. They raised enough money for early phases of preserving the mural, including the task of detaching 763,000 small ceramic tiles.