The Avenue

Creative Class Assignment

File:9f10.pngIf you put aside the debate over the overt, or non-existent depending on your viewpoint, hucksterism of Richard Florida’s economic development prescriptions as described by Alec MacGillis in the American Prospect, you’ll find the piece has spawned a real debate over what sorts of policy approaches might best work for the places we call shrinking cities.

While MacGillis’ smackdown is entertaining (prompting Willy Staley at Next American City to say the whole piece reminded him of the Simpsons monorail episode), his blog debate with Ryan Avent  examines the gamut of issues surrounding the cities wracked by declining industries and population loss.  

My colleagues will have more to say on this issue in the coming months, but for now, as they say, worth reading.

 

COMMENTS (1)

01/16/2010 - 10:47pm EDT | ironyroad

A stack of criticisms can be leveled at Florida's ideas, style, and career arc. Nevertheless, there's some intuitive truth at the core of what he's been saying that imo survives the onslaught. It is probably the case that people who do "creative" work tend to like a certain kind of atmosphere in where they live. But two problems occur to me: one problem is that the creative class also likes authenticity. A "downtown" created by the city council last year isn't really a downtown that has some history and depth to it. Until we manage to revitalize the main streets that once existed in this country before Wal-Mart deep-sixed them, we're not going to solve some of the dying-off of reasonab ... view full comment

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