Richard Florida - The Rise of the Creative Class

Definition of the creative class by Richard Florida

"a profound new force in the american economy and life of america"
"fast-growing, highly-educated, well paid segment of the workforce on whose efforts corporate profits and economic growth increasingly depend"

More important than the field of employment that varies from " technology to entertainment, from journalism to finance, high-end manufacturing to the arts" is how the employees can carry out their jobs:

They think on their own
apply/combine standard approaches in unique ways to fit the situation
exercise a great deal of judgement, try something radically new from time to time
interpret their work and make decisions (blur distinction between white-collar- and blue-collar workers)
get the chance to develop their their own unique ways of doing the job
This leads to the possibility of self-expression and job satisfaction

Florida sees the creative class as it's own ethnic group that needs sufficient space to express its identity

The creative class designates employees, who are relating to following attributes:

creativity, individuality, difference, merit

Their decision of where they want to live is depending on their life-style interests. That means that a city can be rich or modern but it will not attract the creative industry to move there if they can not guarantee the quality of life the creative class is looking for

How can a city attract the creative industry?

cultural diversity
tolerant attitude
diversity
open, regardless of ethnic background or sexual orientation
low entry barriers (new firms can easily enter)
low entry barriers for people (create a place where newcomers are accept quickly into social and economic arrangements)
plug-and-play communities ( everyone can fit in quickly)
possibility to build support structures
possibility to be themselves
city has to be authentic and unique (Authenticity means historic buildings, established neighborhoods, unique music scene, specific cultural attributes; mix between old and new buildings, young and old people. long-time neighborhood characters and yuppies. fashion-models and bag-ladies)

Why do a city want to attract the creative class?

the creative class have a commercial relevance because of their potential market volume. Now, the creative class includes 38,3 million Americans = 30% of the entire workforce
Places that succeed in attracting and retaining creative class people prosper, those that fail don't

One of the most interesting points, Richard Florida is making to me is that there is still a gap between the wish of community leaders what kind of people they want to have in there cities (30-40, well paid married couples with kids) and the reality. There is no need to organize a city for well paid married couples with because less than a quarter of all American households consist of traditional nuclear families. The creative class becomes bigger and bigger, they are young, childless and stay single longer, and even if they decide to have children, they won't give up their social and cultural life, so cities have to adapt the creative class wishes to be attractive to them.

The text is excluding all people who are not part of the creative class, what are their wishes, does that correlate with the wishes of the creative class, how to combine creative/noncreative class

I am wondering what happens if the creative class doesn't grow anymore

Is there a satiation of creative people in a city?

Does the creative class tolerate their own growth?