CreativeClass

ThoughtStorms Wiki

Theory by RichardFlorida

Executive Summary : Smart, creative people like to live in nice places

(where nice == tolerant of diversity, encouraging unorthodoxy etc.)

(ReadWith) Of course Brighton is a CC town. And GeekCities

Stuck in old paradigms of economic development, cities like Buffalo, New Orleans, and Louisville struggled in the 1980s and 1990s to become the next "Silicon Somewhere" by building generic high-tech office parks or subsidizing professional sports teams. Yet they lost members of the creative class, and their economic dynamism, to places like Austin, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Seattle—places more tolerant, diverse, and open to creativity. Because of this migration of the creative class, a new social and economic geography is emerging in America, one that does not correspond to old categories like East Coast versus West Coast or Sunbelt versus Frostbelt. Rather, it is more like the class divisions that have increasingly separated Americans by income and neighborhood, extended into the realm of city and region.

How do you build a truly creative community—one that can survive and prosper in this emerging age? The key can no longer be found in the usual strategies. Recruiting more companies won't do it; neither will trying to become the next Silicon Valley. While it certainly remains important to have a solid business climate, having an effective people climate is even more essential. By this I mean a general strategy aimed at attracting and retaining people—especially, but not limited to, creative people. This entails remaining open to diversity and actively working to cultivate it, and investing in the lifestyle amenities that people really want and use often, as opposed to using financial incentives to attract companies, build professional sports stadiums, or develop retail complexes.*

(See also TheOpenSociety)

There is no one-size-fits-all model for a successful people climate. The members of the creative class are diverse across the dimensions of age, ethnicity and race, marital status, and sexual preference. An effective people climate needs to emphasize openness and diversity, and to help reinforce low barriers to entry. Thus, it cannot be restrictive or monolithic.*

This also is reminiscent of ChristopherAlexander and his PatternLanguage. (Magic of the City, Mosaic of Subcultures, University as a Marketplace, Carnival, Dancing in the Street, Street Cafe)

Question : where do right-wing libertarian creatives fit into Florida's analysis that the like-minded flock together? Are they part of the creative class? Do they flock to "liberal" creative cities? Or to hi-tech conservative ones?

Guess they are all about GeekCities and CharterCities

Criticism

Left Wing Criticism

Transcluded from Gayborhood

Right wing criticism

Both critics emphasis that "job growth" in CC cities is lower than non CC cities. I guess the question is what "job growth" means? Is it something that would count a salaried employee but not a free-lancer working the same amount of hours for the same income?

Resonse:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/09/blame-the-bobos-creative-class/619492/

Is RightWingPopulism in general a reaction to the prioritizing of diversity in corporate thinking?

Compare :

See also :

https://www.citylab.com/life/2015/12/how-the-arts-add-to-city-economies/421191/

CategoryInformationalism