Building Bike Lanes to Lure the Creative Class

"[L]et's get past the culture wars and face some economic facts.

Like it or not, New York has become a haven for creative class professionals - who also happen to do freelance writing, filmmaking, software developing and a whole host of other important jobs. It needs them to maintain its competitive edge in a host of fields from finance to publishing and digital media. They don't give up their lifestyle preferences as they age. They don't stop bicycling or running, for instance, just because they have children. When they put their kids in child seats or jogging strollers, traffic-free bike paths become especially important to them."

Building bike lanes, Florida argues, is an easy way to lure the creative types that help fuel the modern economy in cities.