Your Town: Creative Hot Spot?
Dr. Monica Dixon
April 2008
They're young, hip and mobile and you want to do everything you can to attract them to your community. They're the artists and architects, engineers and entrepreneurs of a new global, economic order.
This "Creative Class," a term first coined by social scientist Dr. Richard Florida, or, "Awesome Talent," as Futurist Tom Peters refers to them, represents a key driving force for economic development of post-industrial cities in the U.S. More than 30% of the American workforce identifies themselves with this group that brings outcomes in new ideas, high-tech industry and regional growth.
Changes in technology have dramatically altered the traditional workplace, and in its stead this new breed of young, creative professional is looking beyond the physical plant to find communities that support and nourish their innovation. Think Seattle; Silicon Valley; Austin, Texas; Asheville, North Carolina; North Carolina's Research Triangle, or Boston's Route 128 as examples of communities that have attracted this roving pool of talent.
What does it mean to grow a city that attracts and nurtures human potential? Creatives are drawn to:
• Interconnected preserves and greenways
• Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods
• Rustic buildings with great ambiance
• Good (and convenient) transit
• Cultural opportunities and coffee shops
• Outdoor dining and entertainment
• Bookstores that provide a café culture for informal gatherings and idea exchanges.
In addition, they value diversity, variety and choice that engage both the senses and the intellect through such elements as signage that doubles as art, public space design, open markets and technological infrastructure. As the Creative's influence continues to expand, business and community leaders will do well to examine their plans and growth strategies with the needs of this vibrant group ever in mind.
For some ideas on how to make your town appeal more to the Creative Class, be sure to read Roger Brooks’ article “Bringing Downtown to Life.”
