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Overview edit
Bibliography
-
(2002)
The Rise of the Creative Class
-
(1990)
The Breakthrough Illusion: Corporate America's Failure to Move from Innovation to Mass Production
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The Flight of the Creative Class: The New Global Competition for Talent
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Cities and the Creative Class
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Locating Global Advantage: Industry Dynamics in the International Economy (Innovation and Technology in the World E)
Personal edit
- Legal name: Richard Florida
- Birthdate: 1957 (age 55)
- Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Nationality: American
- Gender: Male
- Official Website: http://creativeclass.com/richard_florida/
- Genres: Professor, Author
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Richard Florida (born 1957 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American urban studies theorist.
Professor Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto.<1> He also heads a private consulting firm, the Creative Class Group.
Prof. Florida received a PhD from Columbia University in 1986. Prior to joining George Mason University's School of Public Policy where he spent two years, he taught at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College from 1987 to 2005.
Contents <hide>
1 Research and theories
2 Criticism and controversy
3 Partial bibliography
4 Critical articles on Florida
5 See also
6 Notes
7 External links
<edit> Research and theories
He is best known for his work in developing his concept of the creative class, and its ramifications in urban regeneration. This research was expressed in Florida's bestselling books The Rise of the Creative Class, Cities and the Creative Class, and The Flight of the Creative Class. A new book, focusing on the issues surrounding urban renewal and talent migration, titled Who's Your City?, was recently published.
Prof. Florida's theory asserts that metropolitan regions with high concentrations of high-tech workers, artists, musicians, lesbians and gay men, and a group he describes as "high bohemians", correlate with a higher level of economic development. Florida posits the theory that the creative class fosters an open, dynamic, personal and professional environment. This environment, in turn, attracts more creative people, as well as businesses and capital. He suggests that attracting and retaining high-quality talent, versus a singular focus on infrastructure projects such as sports stadiums, iconic buildings, and shopping centers, would be a better primary use of a city's regeneration resources for long-term prosperity.
He has devised his own ranking systems that rate cities by a "Bohemian index," a "Gay index," a "diversity index" and similar criteria.
Florida's earlier work focused on innovation by manufacturers, including the continuous improvement systems implemented by automakers like Toyota.
<edit> Criticism and controversy
Florida's theories are the source of both praise and controversy. Florida's ideas have been criticized from a variety of political perspectives, and by both academics and journalists. His theories have been criticized as being elitist, and his data have been questioned.<2> In The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida proudly claimed Pittsburgh as his "home city" only to leave shortly after publication <citation needed>.
Researchers have also criticized Florida's work for its methodology. Terry Nichols Clark (University of Chicago) has used Florida's own data-sets to question the correlation between the presence of significant numbers of gay men in a city and the presence of high-technology knowledge industries. <3>
Other critics have said that the conditions it describes may no longer exist, and that his theories may be better suited to politics, rather than economics <4>. Florida has gone on to directly reply to a number of these objections. <5>
Florida's first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, which was followed by a 'prequel' titled Cities and the Creative Class, which provided more in-depth data to support his findings, came at the end of the dot-com boom (it was first published in 2002). However, with the rise of Google, the juggernauts of Web 2.0, and the constant call from business leaders (often seen in publications such as Business 2.0) for a more creative, as well as skilled, workforce, he and his supporters assert the contemporary relevance of Florida's research is easy to see.<5>
Some scholars have voiced concern over Florida's influence on urban planners throughout the United States. A recently released (2010) book, Weird City, examines Florida's influence on planning policy in Austin, Texas. The main body of the book treats Florida's creative class theory in an introductory and neutral tone, but in a theoretical "postscript" chapter, the author criticizes Florida's tendency to "whitewash" the negative externalities associated with creative city development.<6>
<edit> Partial bibliography
"The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity", 2010 ISBN 978-0061937194.
Who's Your City?, 2008. ISBN 0-465-00352-4.
The Flight of the Creative Class. The New Global Competition for Talent, 2005. HarperBusiness, HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-075691-8.
Cities and the Creative Class, 2005. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-94887-8.
The Rise of the Creative Class. And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life, 2002. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02477-7.
Branscomb, Lewis & Kodama, Fumio & Florida, Richard (1999). Industrializing Knowledge: University-Industry Linkages in Japan and the United States. MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-02465-9.
Kenny, Martin & Florida, Richard (1993). Beyond Mass Production: The Japanese System and Its Transfer to the US. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507110-7.
Florida, Richard (1990). The Breakthrough Illusion. Corporate America's Failure to Move from Innovation to Mass Production. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-00760-0.
<edit> Critical articles on Florida
Terry Nichols Clark, "Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars" (2002).
Steven Malanga, "The Curse of the Creative Class".
Joel Kotkin, "The Capital of What?".
Ann Daly, "Richard Florida's High-Class Glasses"
Steve Sailer, "Brookings Does Diversity, Sort Of"
Peck, Jamie. 2005. "Struggling with the Creative Class International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 29,4: 740-770.
Scott, Allen J. “Creative Cities: Conceptual Issues and Policy Questions,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 28, 2006, 1 – 17.
Hoyman, Michele and Christopher Faricy. 2009. "It Takes a Village: A Test of the Creative Class, Social Capital and Human Capital Theories", Urban Affairs Review, 44:311-333.
Long, Joshua. 2009. Sustaining Creativity in the Creative Archetype: The Case of Austin, Texas. Cities, 26 (4): 210-219.
<edit> See also
Tom DeMarco
Thomas Frank
Peter Hall (urbanist)
Jane Jacobs
Thomas W. Malone
Urban renewal
<edit> Notes
^ Caroline Alphonso and Joanna Smith (2007-07-10). "'Stars aligned' for urban guru's move". Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070710.wflorida10/BNStory/National/.
^ Jamie Peck (PDF). Struggling with the Creative Class. http://www.boell-bw.de/fileadmin/Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung/2008/city/Peck_Struggling_with_the_creative_class.pdf.
^ Terry Nichols Clark (PDF). Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars Do They Drive Development?. http://www.coolcities.com/cm/attach/ACFAEF2D-708B-4861-96D4-CA6FD5B87436/UrbanAmenitiesandGrowthUC.pdf.
^ Malanga, Steven (Winter 2004). "The Curse of the Creative Class". City Journal. http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_curse.html.
^ a b Florida, Richard. "In Defense of the 'Creative Class' - Author Richard Florida responds to criticisms of "The Rise of the Creative Class."". http://creativeclass.typepad.com/thecreativityexchange/technology_innovation/index.html.
^ Long, Joshua (2010). Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas. University of Texas Press.
Professor Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto.<1> He also heads a private consulting firm, the Creative Class Group.
Prof. Florida received a PhD from Columbia University in 1986. Prior to joining George Mason University's School of Public Policy where he spent two years, he taught at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College from 1987 to 2005.
Contents <hide>
1 Research and theories
2 Criticism and controversy
3 Partial bibliography
4 Critical articles on Florida
5 See also
6 Notes
7 External links
<edit> Research and theories
He is best known for his work in developing his concept of the creative class, and its ramifications in urban regeneration. This research was expressed in Florida's bestselling books The Rise of the Creative Class, Cities and the Creative Class, and The Flight of the Creative Class. A new book, focusing on the issues surrounding urban renewal and talent migration, titled Who's Your City?, was recently published.
Prof. Florida's theory asserts that metropolitan regions with high concentrations of high-tech workers, artists, musicians, lesbians and gay men, and a group he describes as "high bohemians", correlate with a higher level of economic development. Florida posits the theory that the creative class fosters an open, dynamic, personal and professional environment. This environment, in turn, attracts more creative people, as well as businesses and capital. He suggests that attracting and retaining high-quality talent, versus a singular focus on infrastructure projects such as sports stadiums, iconic buildings, and shopping centers, would be a better primary use of a city's regeneration resources for long-term prosperity.
He has devised his own ranking systems that rate cities by a "Bohemian index," a "Gay index," a "diversity index" and similar criteria.
Florida's earlier work focused on innovation by manufacturers, including the continuous improvement systems implemented by automakers like Toyota.
<edit> Criticism and controversy
Florida's theories are the source of both praise and controversy. Florida's ideas have been criticized from a variety of political perspectives, and by both academics and journalists. His theories have been criticized as being elitist, and his data have been questioned.<2> In The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida proudly claimed Pittsburgh as his "home city" only to leave shortly after publication <citation needed>.
Researchers have also criticized Florida's work for its methodology. Terry Nichols Clark (University of Chicago) has used Florida's own data-sets to question the correlation between the presence of significant numbers of gay men in a city and the presence of high-technology knowledge industries. <3>
Other critics have said that the conditions it describes may no longer exist, and that his theories may be better suited to politics, rather than economics <4>. Florida has gone on to directly reply to a number of these objections. <5>
Florida's first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, which was followed by a 'prequel' titled Cities and the Creative Class, which provided more in-depth data to support his findings, came at the end of the dot-com boom (it was first published in 2002). However, with the rise of Google, the juggernauts of Web 2.0, and the constant call from business leaders (often seen in publications such as Business 2.0) for a more creative, as well as skilled, workforce, he and his supporters assert the contemporary relevance of Florida's research is easy to see.<5>
Some scholars have voiced concern over Florida's influence on urban planners throughout the United States. A recently released (2010) book, Weird City, examines Florida's influence on planning policy in Austin, Texas. The main body of the book treats Florida's creative class theory in an introductory and neutral tone, but in a theoretical "postscript" chapter, the author criticizes Florida's tendency to "whitewash" the negative externalities associated with creative city development.<6>
<edit> Partial bibliography
"The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity", 2010 ISBN 978-0061937194.
Who's Your City?, 2008. ISBN 0-465-00352-4.
The Flight of the Creative Class. The New Global Competition for Talent, 2005. HarperBusiness, HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-075691-8.
Cities and the Creative Class, 2005. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-94887-8.
The Rise of the Creative Class. And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life, 2002. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02477-7.
Branscomb, Lewis & Kodama, Fumio & Florida, Richard (1999). Industrializing Knowledge: University-Industry Linkages in Japan and the United States. MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-02465-9.
Kenny, Martin & Florida, Richard (1993). Beyond Mass Production: The Japanese System and Its Transfer to the US. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507110-7.
Florida, Richard (1990). The Breakthrough Illusion. Corporate America's Failure to Move from Innovation to Mass Production. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-00760-0.
<edit> Critical articles on Florida
Terry Nichols Clark, "Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars" (2002).
Steven Malanga, "The Curse of the Creative Class".
Joel Kotkin, "The Capital of What?".
Ann Daly, "Richard Florida's High-Class Glasses"
Steve Sailer, "Brookings Does Diversity, Sort Of"
Peck, Jamie. 2005. "Struggling with the Creative Class International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 29,4: 740-770.
Scott, Allen J. “Creative Cities: Conceptual Issues and Policy Questions,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 28, 2006, 1 – 17.
Hoyman, Michele and Christopher Faricy. 2009. "It Takes a Village: A Test of the Creative Class, Social Capital and Human Capital Theories", Urban Affairs Review, 44:311-333.
Long, Joshua. 2009. Sustaining Creativity in the Creative Archetype: The Case of Austin, Texas. Cities, 26 (4): 210-219.
<edit> See also
Tom DeMarco
Thomas Frank
Peter Hall (urbanist)
Jane Jacobs
Thomas W. Malone
Urban renewal
<edit> Notes
^ Caroline Alphonso and Joanna Smith (2007-07-10). "'Stars aligned' for urban guru's move". Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070710.wflorida10/BNStory/National/.
^ Jamie Peck (PDF). Struggling with the Creative Class. http://www.boell-bw.de/fileadmin/Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung/2008/city/Peck_Struggling_with_the_creative_class.pdf.
^ Terry Nichols Clark (PDF). Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars Do They Drive Development?. http://www.coolcities.com/cm/attach/ACFAEF2D-708B-4861-96D4-CA6FD5B87436/UrbanAmenitiesandGrowthUC.pdf.
^ Malanga, Steven (Winter 2004). "The Curse of the Creative Class". City Journal. http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_curse.html.
^ a b Florida, Richard. "In Defense of the 'Creative Class' - Author Richard Florida responds to criticisms of "The Rise of the Creative Class."". http://creativeclass.typepad.com/thecreativityexchange/technology_innovation/index.html.
^ Long, Joshua (2010). Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas. University of Texas Press.
