Just as Florida modified his book and titled the updated version “The Rise of the Creative Class: Revisited,” the professor at the University of Toronto and senior editor at The Atlantic has modified his own views on suburbia.
In fact, he says he sees more opportunities than ever in American suburbs, many of which are in varying stages of decline these days.
Crain’s talked with urbanist Richard Florida about some of the opportunities and challenges Chicago faces as it tries to remake its economy and shine more light on its technology companies.
Richard Florida, professor at University of Toronto and NYU, and senior editor of The Atlantic, was in London when he caught up with Adam Leipzig for an interview. His book, The Rise of the Creative Class, transformed Leipzig’s thinking about how creative people work and affect society; the tenth anniversary edition, The Rise of the Creative Class – Revisited, goes even further and helps us understand how to focus our efforts in the coming decade.
Lee Fisher and Joe Cortright review top summer reads for urban leaders,including Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class Revisited.
In The Rise of the Creative Class Revisited, Florida builds on his original case that creativity is now the “fundamental driver of our economy.” To prove it, he analyzed 350 metro areas using a series of creative metrics to rank the top cities in the nation. Boulder came No. 1 on the list followed by San Francisco and Boston.
While both presidential candidates are quick to accuse the other of stooping to class warfare, neither will admit how class-ridden America has become. It’s ironic because this widening class divide represents one of the nation’s gravest dangers.