I read an article \u201cThe Curse of the Creative Class\u201d by Steven Malanga that provides a counter argument to Richard Florida\u2019s popular book \u201cRise of the Creative Class\u201d. In response to Florida\u2019s books, many cities have tried to implement trendy alterations to their city to attract this Creative Class that was said to have so much influence over a city\u2019s economy. Providence, Rhode Island, for example, \u201clocal economic-development officials are urging a campaign to make the city the nation\u2019s capital of independent rock music.\u201d Other cities are spending millions to build new bike paths and parks to attract this hip, young group of tech savvy employees.<\/p>\n
Malanga brings up some very good points on why this is a bad use of money. Florida made some leaps in logic when writing his book, assuming that these cities with high populations of Creative Class had somehow attracted these particular people with amenities the city already had. In reality, much of the creative class is not entrepreneurs and moved to cities because of job offers in existing businesses.<\/p>\n
Attention was especially paid to Austin and its appeal, \u201cAustin, already one of the winners in Florida\u2019s world, is working hard to keep its edge. The city sets aside taxes on hotel rooms and car rentals to support local artists. A city-council economic-development subcommittee has adopted the slogan \u201cKeep Austin Weird\u201d to emphasize its belief that support for offbeat culture is essential to the city\u2019s economic future. One defining assertion of that conviction, as Florida approvingly reports, is that Austin has erected\u2014right smack in the midst of its downtown jogging trail\u2014a bronze statue honoring not Sam Houston or Jim Bowie, but rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it takes the potential of profit to motivate our cities to invest money in their public spaces. Money should be going equally to the citizens in need instead of all towards meager attempts to attract a trendy population. I do appreciate that, because of Florida, cities now realize the potential that parks, bike lanes, live music, and public art have in creating a thriving city.<\/p>\n
Article:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/html\/14_1_the_curse.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I read an article \u201cThe Curse of the Creative Class\u201d by Steven Malanga that provides a counter argument to Richard Florida\u2019s popular book \u201cRise of the Creative Class\u201d. In response to Florida\u2019s books, many cities have tried to implement trendy … Continue reading