Inspiration on the 77th Meridian (Part II):The Theory of The Creative Class

In our previous post about the economic growth in Prince Edward County (PEC), Ontario, Canada, we mentioned the Economic Development leader of the area and his implementation of sound community planning to drive the growth. The principles being followed in PEC are discussed in a study from April 2008 titled, “Growing the Creative-Rural Economy in Prince Edward County.” The report was written by a group of faculty and students at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. (For the full text of the report, click here).

The phrase in the title, “creative-rural economy,” references Richard Florida’s creative class theory, discussed in his book, The Rise of the Creative Class (2002). Florida wanted to explain why some cities were enjoying economic success, while others were not. He concluded that the cities with a relatively high creativity index fared better than the others.

So, what is a creativity index and what defines the creative class? A city’s creativity index is derived from the answers to four basic questions:

1. What percentage of the workforce is from the creative class?
2. How high-tech is the environment?
3. How innovative is the community?
4. How open is the city to different ideas and people, or how diverse is it?

According to Florida’s book, “the distinguishing characteristic of the creative class is that its members engage in work whose function is to ‘create meaningful new forms.’” The creative class includes scientists, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs of all sorts. You can learn about the creative class and other planning and economic development principles on Florida’s website (>here).

The book discusses the way in which prospering cities owe their success to their ability to attract ‘creative class workers.’ To do this, he argues that cities must have “low entry barriers.” i.e., the city must value diversity, emphasize quality of place, be open to differences, and show dedication to the authenticity and uniqueness of place:

“Authenticity comes from several aspects of a community---historic buildings, established neighborhoods, a unique music scene, or specific cultural attributes. It comes from the mix---from urban grit alongside renovated buildings, from the commingling of young and old, long-time neighborhood characters and yuppies, fashion models and "bag ladies." An authentic place also offers unique and original experiences. Thus a place full of chain stores, chain restaurants, and nightclubs is not authentic. You could have the same experience anywhere.” [Richard Florida, author of the The Rise of the Creative Class]

Florida believes that a creative class of scientists, musicians, entrepreneurs, etc., are the ones who combine technology, talent, and tolerance to form a new economy. Such economies emerge when a creative class takes hold in urban centers. US Department of Agriculture Economist, David McGranahan, has applied the ideas to rural communities as well. In an article in the agricultural journal Amber Waves, he writes that while many rural communities “tend to lose much of their talent when young adults leave for college, the Armed Forces, or ‘city lights,’” there may be hope for retaining those young adults and recruiting more if communities “create amenities” that Richard Florida mentioned and better protect and publicize their existing natural amenities. The natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region is referenced in McGranahan’s use of Tompkins County as an example of a prosperous rural community. These principles are, essentially, what the research group at Queens discussed, and that is what Geneva might try.

The creative class seeks the best of both worlds: challenging work and an interesting lifestyle; modern amenities with respect and sensitivity to the past; a thriving economy and a stable environment. It requires a community effort that is genuinely responsive to those needs and ready to meet them.

As we have said in previous posts, the key to Geneva’s success does not lie in tax abatements, development deals, and short-sighted economic development. Instead, we must learn from the example of other communities, and reconnect with what makes Geneva a unique destination to live, to work, and to play. As Florida concludes,

“…much of the country is failing to adapt to the demands of the creative age. It is not that struggling cities like Pittsburgh do not want to grow or encourage high-tech industries. In most cases, their leaders are doing everything they think they can to spur innovation and high-tech growth. But most of the time, they are either unwilling or unable to do the things required to create an environment or habitat attractive to the creative class. They pay lip service to the need to "attract talent," but continue to pour resources into recruiting call centers, underwriting big-box retailers, subsidizing downtown malls, and squandering precious taxpayer dollars on extravagant stadium complexes. Or they try to create facsimiles of neighborhoods or retail districts, replacing the old and authentic with the new and generic---and in doing so drive the creative class away."