Richard Florida, the man credited with popularizing the belief that the so-called “creative class” is the primary driver of urban redevelopment, was in Ann Arbor yesterday to address a regional economic forum hosted by Ann Arbor Spark. As I didn’t take very good notes, and don’t have the time this evening to provide anything even […]
Posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture, Uncategorized | Also tagged Ann Arbor SPARK, Brexit, cities, creative class, demographics, Donald Trump, economic development, economic inequality, economic segregation, Elmira, gentrification, inclusive urbanism, Jane Jacobs, luddism, Martin Prosperity Institute, mass transit, Michael Shuman, populism, re-urbanization, Rob Ford, service industry, shifting national demographics, tax the rich, the arts, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, the gay, The New Urban Crisis, The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality Deepening Segregation and Failing the Middle Class—and What We Can Do About It, The Rise of the Creative Class, things that are boring, threats to the middle class, urban planning, urban redevelopment, urban renewal, wealth inequality, why don't the rich see the big picture |
By Mark | February 24, 2015
According to a new study authored by Richard Florida and Charlotta Mellander for Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute, the greater Ann Arbor region is the 8th most economically segregated metropolitan area in the United States. Here, from a piece Florida just wrote for the website City Lab, is a quote which should provide a bit of […]
By Mark | January 17, 2014
I was hoping that this kind of thing had died with the career of Richard Florida… I understand that it’s well intentioned, and I don’t disagree that Michigan needs to find a way to keep bright, innovative young people in the state. With that said, though, this reeks of desperation. And it brings back painful […]
Posted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Observations, Other, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged abortion, Ann Arbor SPARK, Cool Cities, density, economic development, epic rants, gay rights, Jennifer Granholm, mass transit, Millennials, pickup artists, Rail, reproductive justice, women's rights |
By Mark | January 7, 2013
I hesitate to post one more article about how great Portland is, as doing so just makes me feel that much worse about this state in which I’m currently trapped, but I just happened across a short interview between Richard “I speak for the creative class” Florida and Jeff Speck, the author of the new […]
Posted in Observations, Other, Rail, Uncategorized | Also tagged Big 3, bike lanes, Border to Border Trail, bulldoze the suburbs, car culture, CEOs for Cities, city planning, creative class, fringe suburbs, Joe Cortright, mass transit, New Urbanism, Portland, suburbs, urban growth boundary, urban planning, walkability, Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition, Ypsi-Ann, Ypsi-Ann Interurban |
By Mark | February 16, 2009
In the new March issue of the Atlantic, Richard Florida ponders how our current financial crisis may reshape America. Regardless of what you might think of Florida and his academic research, it’s a question worth considering. Given what we know about demographics and trends, which regions of the United States are most likely to weather […]
