Richard Florida answers questions about his thesis -- that the Creative Class is a distinct segment that drives innovation, creates urban success, and is critical to American competitiveness.
From the interview:
"Hanft: Can a city or region really impose a top-down solution to attracting the Creative Class? It feels like a 21st century version of the urban planning and urban renewal disasters of the sixties and seventies. Doesn't an environment that attracts and nurtures the Creative Class have to come from the bottom up? Isn't there a risk of Disney-fying the Creative Class?
Florida: Yes. Creativity is organic. You can't plan for it. You can only allow it room and freedom to grow -- something that many leaders fail to do in their pursuit of maintaining the status quo. I'm not asking people to force creativity on their companies, cities, and communities; I'm just asking them to allow it to flourish. There's a big difference."
FULL STORY: Creative-Class Struggle
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