Richard Florida 274199 221687205 2008-06-25T17:02:00Z 99.234.17.190 Corrected names of the Martin Prosperity Institute and Creative Class Group in second paragraph. [[Image:Richard Florida - 2006 Out & Equal.jpg|thumb|Richard Florida speaking at the 2006 Out & Equal Workplace Summit.]] '''Richard Florida''' (born [[1957]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[urban studies]] theorist. Professor Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the [[Rotman School of Management]] and the [[MaRS Discovery District]], at the [[University of Toronto]]. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070710.wflorida10/BNStory/National/|publisher=[[Globe and Mail]]|author=Caroline Alphonso and Joanna Smith|title='Stars aligned' for urban guru's move|date=2007-07-10}}</ref> He also heads a private consulting firm, the Creative Class Group. Prof. Florida received a PhD from [[Columbia University]] in 1986. Prior to joining [[George Mason University]]'s School of Public Policy where he spent two years, he taught at [[Carnegie Mellon University]]'s [[Heinz School]] from 1987 to 2005. == Research and theories == He is best known for his work in developing his concept of the [[creative class]], and its ramifications in [[urban regeneration]]. This research was expressed in Florida's bestselling book ''The Rise of the Creative Class'', ''Cities and the Creative Class'', and ''The Flight of the Creative Class''. A new book, focusing on the issues surrounding [[urban renewal]] and talent migration, titled ''Who's Your City?'', was recently published. Prof. Florida's theory asserts that metropolitan regions with high concentrations of high-tech workers, artists, musicians, lesbians and gay men, and a group he describes as "high [[Bohemianism|bohemian]]s", correlate with a higher level of economic development. Florida posits the theory that the [[creative class]] fosters an open, dynamic, personal and professional environment. This environment, in turn, attracts more creative people, as well as businesses and capital. He suggests that attracting and retaining high-quality talent, versus a singular focus on infrastructure projects such as sports stadiums, iconic buildings, and shopping centers, would be a better primary use of a city's regeneration resources for long-term prosperity. He has devised his own ranking systems that rate cities by a "Bohemian index," a "Gay index," a "diversity index" and similar criteria. == Criticism and controversy == Florida's theories are the source of both praise and controversy. Florida's ideas have been criticized from a variety of political perspectives, and by both academics and journalists. His theories have been criticized as being elitist, and his data have been questioned.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Struggling with the Creative Class|author=Jamie Peck|url=http://irle.ucla.edu/faculty/mvidal/peck_on_florida.pdf}}</ref> Researchers have also criticized Florida's work for its methodology. Terry Nichols Clark ([[University of Chicago]]) has used Florida's own data-sets to question the much-touted correlation between the presence of significant numbers of [[gay]] men in a city and the presence of high-technology knowledge industries. <ref>{{cite journal|title=Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars Do They Drive Development?|author=Terry Nichols Clark|url=http://www.coolcities.com/cm/attach/ACFAEF2D-708B-4861-96D4-CA6FD5B87436/UrbanAmenitiesandGrowthUC.pdf}}</ref> Other critics have said that the conditions it describes may no longer exist, and that his theories may be better suited to politics, rather than economics <ref>{{cite news|title=The Curse of the Creative Class|last=Malanga|first=Steven|publisher=City Journal|date=Winter 2004|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_curse.html}}</ref>. Florida has gone on to directly reply to a number of these objections. <ref name="defense"/> Florida's first book, ''The Rise of the Creative Class'', which was followed by a 'prequel' titled ''Cities and the Creative Class'', which provided more in-depth data to support his findings, came at the end of the dot-com boom (it was first published in 2002). However, with the rise of [[Google]], the juggernauts of [[Web 2.0]], and the constant call from business leaders (often seen in publications such as [[Business 2.0]]) for a more ''creative'', as well as skilled, workforce, he and his supporters assert the contemporary relevance of Florida's research is easy to see.<ref name="defense">{{cite news|url=http://creativeclass.typepad.com/thecreativityexchange/technology_innovation/index.html|title=In Defense of the 'Creative Class' - Author Richard Florida responds to criticisms of "The Rise of the Creative Class."|last=Florida|first=Richard|2004-04-28}} </ref> ==Partial bibliography== *''Who's Your City?'', 2008. ISBN 0465003524. *''The Flight of the Creative Class. The New Global Competition for Talent'', 2005. HarperBusiness, HarperCollins. ISBN 0060756918. * ''Cities and the Creative Class'', 2005. Routledge. ISBN 0415948878. * ''The Rise of the Creative Class. And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life'', 2002. Basic Books. ISBN 0465024777. * Branscomb, Lewis & Kodama, Fumio & Florida, Richard (1999). ''Industrializing Knowledge: University-Industry Linkages in Japan and the United States''. [[MIT]] Press. ISBN 0262024659. * Kenny, Martin & Florida, Richard (1993). ''Beyond Mass Production: The Japanese System and Its Transfer to the US''. [[Oxford University Press]]. ISBN 0195071107. * Florida, Richard (1990). ''The Breakthrough Illusion. Corporate America's Failure to Move from Innovation to Mass Production''. Basic Books. ISBN 0465007600. == Critical articles on Florida == * Terry Nichols Clarke, ''[http://www.coolcities.com/cm/attach/ACFAEF2D-708B-4861-96D4-CA6FD5B87436/UrbanAmenitiesandGrowthUC.pdf "Urban Amenities: Lakes, Opera, and Juice Bars"]'' (2002). * Steven Malanga, ''[http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004573 "The Curse of the Creative Class"]''. * Joel Kotkin, ''[http://www.joelkotkin.com/Urban_Affairs/NYS%20-%20The%20Capital%20of%20What.htm "The Capital of What?"]''. * Ann Daly, ''[http://www.anndalyconsulting.com/articles/florida.html "Richard Florida's High-Class Glasses"]'' * [[Steve Sailer]], ''[http://www.vdare.com/sailer/brookings.htm "Brookings Does Diversity, Sort Of"]'' * Peck, Jamie. 2005. ''[http://irle.ucla.edu/faculty/mvidal/peck_on_florida.pdf "Struggling with the Creative Class]'' ''International Journal of Urban and Rural Research'' 29,4: 740-770. * Scott, Allen J. “Creative Cities: Conceptual Issues and Policy Questions,” Journal of Urban Affairs, 28, 2006, 1 – 17. == See also == *[[Tom DeMarco]] *[[Thomas Frank]] *[[Peter Hall (urbanist)]] *[[Thomas W. Malone]] *[[Urban renewal]] ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==External links== * Florida's web-site for ''[http://www.creativeclass.org/ The Rise of the Creative Class]''. The first chapter is available free. * Florida's lattest book website [http://creativeclass.com/whos_your_city/ Who's Your City] * Critique by Kevin Griffis in [http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/2002-08-21/cover.html CreativeLoafing.com] * [http://entitledtoanopinion.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/steve-sailer-on-richard-florida/ Critique by Steve Sailer] * [http://www.city-journal.org/2008/bc0328sm.html "Who's Your Economist?" by Steven Malanga in City Journal], published by free market think-tank The [[Manhattan Institute]] * [http://management.silicon.com/careers/0,39024849,39163087,00.htm ''Unwired: Prepare for the next generation''] * [http://www.cci.edu.au/ Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation] * [http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimony/Importance_of_Foreign_Scientists_and_Engineers_to_US.asp ''The Importance of Foreign-born Scientists and Engineers to the Security of The United States'': A Congressional Report, submitted by the National Academy of Engineering] *Article on creative flight at the Cato Institute's [http://www.cato-unbound.org/2006/06/04/richard-florida/the-future-of-the-american-workforce-in-the-global-creative-economy Unbound Forum] {{DEFAULTSORT:Florida, Richard}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Urban theorists]] [[Category:American economists]] [[Category:Carnegie Mellon University faculty]] [[Category:Columbia University alumni]] [[Category:University of Toronto faculty]] [[de:Richard Florida]] [[lv:Ričards Florida]] [[nl:Richard Florida]] [[no:Richard Florida]] [[ja:リチャード・フロリダ]] [[fi:Richard Florida]]