Creative Class

The same economic reports from May (namely, the jobs report and the Home Price Index) that have led to some concern about the direction of the U.S. economy overall, tell a very different story about Wahington DC, according to Richard Florida.

U.S. News and World Report recently evaluated the cities where real income (what your paycheck can buy, considering the cost of living) is the highest. Des Moines, Iowa takes the top slot.

Richard Florida writes that population growth and wealth do not go hand in hand -- wealth comes from improvements in productivity. In fact, some of the areas with the biggest leaps in population are suffering real declines in wealth.

Richard Florida plots the geography of class on a map of Toronto to show the deep economic divisions at work in an almost "completely post industrial," city.

We are ignoring the greatest threat to the nation's economic might, says Richard Florida.

The product of a three-day summit attended by 100 young professionals, the "Memphis Manifesto" articulates strategies that cities can use to become more vibrant places and spark new and varied economic activity.