Call it the re-education, the evolution, or the contrition of Richard Florida, but the "rock-star urbanist" has realized some unintended consequences of his creative class ethos, and he's ready to share a new vision for cities.
Lydia DePillis reports on the evolution of Richard Florida, who 16 years after his first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, will release a new book called The New Urban Crisis.
According to DePillis, the theories included in The Rise of the Creative Class "proved half true." That is, "[f]or many small, post-industrial cities without assets like big tech companies and universities, no amount of creative-class marketing would turn things around."
Meanwhile, "some cities — San Francisco and New York, Austin and Seattle and Washington — have seen the theory work entirely too well, as creative and techy types revitalized downtown neighborhoods to the point where only bankers and software developers can afford to live in them comfortably."
DePillis attended a recent event in Houston hosted by the Kinder Institute and the Greater Houston Community Foundation, where Florida admitted that his original work did not anticipate the "dark side of the urban creative revolution."
The new book won't be out until next spring, but Florida spoke with DePillis in detail about its genesis (an argument with Joel Kotkin) and some of the realizations that shaped its argument (e.g., the segregation and sorting of growing cities). The new book, explains DePillis, is about "inclusive urbanism": "investing in residents' skills rather than yuppifying their neighborhoods, about retrofitting suburbs for people who might want to be able to walk to a grocery store and piping them into the city with commuter rail."
One pointed moment comes when Florida responds to the politics of the "tribe of urban libertarians," which is probably a code for YIMBYs. Here's Florida in his own words on that subject:
What happened to the urban left is it got captured by critical studies, the people who run around in geography departments and who've just given up reality. These are the people who think you're going to rebuild cities by deregulating land use. Welcome to Houston!
FULL STORY: The re-education of Richard Florida
Where 2024 Presidential Candidates Stand on 12 Issues Important to Urban Planners
Whether you’re yet undecided or have already cast your early vote, here is a roundup of the key positions of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on important urban planning policies.
Commentary: New Bill Holds Key to Solving US Housing Crisis. We Just Have to Pass It.
Two bills currently moving through Congress could make mass production of prefabricated, affordable housing possible on a large scale.
Amtrak Expanding Service in California’s Central Valley
Amtrak is planning a major expansion to the passenger rail lines connecting the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
Denver Slaughterhouse Measure Reveals Impacts of Meat Industry
Voters did not approve a measure that would have closed a slaughterhouse that is key to the nation’s lamb production.
Chicago Transit Increasing Rail Service to Pre-Pandemic Levels
The Chicago Transit Authority is close to returning both rail and bus service to pre-pandemic schedules, with some adjustments for new travel demand.
Baltimore Traffic Suffering From Absence of Key Bridge
The loss of a key route to the Port of Baltimore is causing major delays and long detours on alternate routes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
University of Southern California
City of Meridian
University of Calgary
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Detroit Regional Partnership
San Joaquin LAFCo
City of South Portland