In his compelling followup to The Rise of the Creative Class RichardFlorida outlines how certain cities succeed in attracting members of thecreative classthe mi... » 

In his compelling followup to The Rise of the Creative Class RichardFlorida outlines how certain cities succeed in attracting members of thecreative classthe millions of people who work in informationage economicsectors and in industries driven by innovation and talent. Cities that succeedFlorida argues are those that are able to attract and retain creative classmembers. They dont do this through the traditional strategies of taxincentives suburban housing developments and loose regulation thoughcreative class members dont care about those details. Rather they care aboutamenities and tolerance and are drawn to cities with thriving bohemias andlarge gay populations. It is no coincidence Florida asserts that places likesAustin and San Francisco with their highly publicized openmindedness andbohemia are at the forefront of the new economy while cities like Detroit incontrast cant succeed unless they actively become a magnet for the creativeclass.To prove his point Florida presents a mass of information on the cities hecites both thriving and failing cities including gay and bohemian indices.Focusing on the economic geography of place Florida explains lays out whatcities need to do to have a chance at success. «