AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From the Globe, Toronto Section
RICHARD FLORIDA: A NEW FACE ON CAMPUS
The guru of the creative city plans a move to Toronto
MATTHEW TREVISAN
July 7, 2007
Maybe Richard Florida took too much of his own medicine.
In his bestselling 2005 book The Flight of the Creative Class, the influential economist argued that diverse international cities rich in culture would deprive America of its artists, scientists and intellectuals.
Now, Toronto stands to benefit from the realization of Prof. Florida's prophecy.
The guru of urban economic development, best known for his argument that post-industrial cities should focus on cultivating a "creative class" of writers, painters, musicians, software developers, engineers and doctors, is moving up to Canada.
"That's the plan," said Amanda Styron, Prof. Florida's spokeswoman at the Creative Class Group, a Washington-based think tank he founded for innovative business practices in business, government and communities.
Currently a professor of public policy at George Mason University in Virginia, Prof. Florida will be coming to Toronto to teach at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.
When contacted Thursday, the school was tight-lipped about Prof. Florida, who will be arriving at U of T "toward the end of the summer."
"We can confirm everything in another six weeks," said Ken McGuffin, the school's spokesman.
One rumour floating about is that Prof. Florida will also work at the MaRS Centre, an innovation hub for science, technology and economic development located a short walk from U of T.
In 2006, Prof. Florida told The Globe and Mail that Toronto could become a major world centre of research and economic activity.
The city today is at an "inflection point," he said. "My own view is that Toronto can position itself in the next decade as a first-tier mega-region and that would require bolstering the universities, leveraging the quality of life and continuing to attract immigrants," he said. "I think Toronto is very, very close to that."
Prof. Florida taught for almost 20 years at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and has also been a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He works as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization and writes for newspapers and general-interest magazines. In 2005, Prof. Florida was named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best and Brightest."
In his 2002 book The Rise of the Creative Class, he argued that if a city concentrates on embracing its bohemians, it is better suited for the "three Ts" of economic growth: technology, talent and tolerance.
Moreover, he argued that the more gay-friendly a city is, the more susceptible it will be to economic prosperity, because of its open-mindedness.
"It's an extraordinarily wonderful complement to our city and proof of Florida's very own theorem that he posited that Toronto is one of the most creative cities on the globe," said Rita Davies, executive director of the city's cultural division.
In fact, there should be another "T" added to Prof. Florida's "three T's" of economic growth, Ms. Davies said, and that "T" should stand for Toronto. "I think that the kind of creative city Florida envisioned ... is really well epitomized by Toronto, where we have a society that has learned to live together."
Mr. McGuffin said Prof. Florida would not be commenting until the details of his Toronto move are finalized.
AoD
RICHARD FLORIDA: A NEW FACE ON CAMPUS
The guru of the creative city plans a move to Toronto
MATTHEW TREVISAN
July 7, 2007
Maybe Richard Florida took too much of his own medicine.
In his bestselling 2005 book The Flight of the Creative Class, the influential economist argued that diverse international cities rich in culture would deprive America of its artists, scientists and intellectuals.
Now, Toronto stands to benefit from the realization of Prof. Florida's prophecy.
The guru of urban economic development, best known for his argument that post-industrial cities should focus on cultivating a "creative class" of writers, painters, musicians, software developers, engineers and doctors, is moving up to Canada.
"That's the plan," said Amanda Styron, Prof. Florida's spokeswoman at the Creative Class Group, a Washington-based think tank he founded for innovative business practices in business, government and communities.
Currently a professor of public policy at George Mason University in Virginia, Prof. Florida will be coming to Toronto to teach at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.
When contacted Thursday, the school was tight-lipped about Prof. Florida, who will be arriving at U of T "toward the end of the summer."
"We can confirm everything in another six weeks," said Ken McGuffin, the school's spokesman.
One rumour floating about is that Prof. Florida will also work at the MaRS Centre, an innovation hub for science, technology and economic development located a short walk from U of T.
In 2006, Prof. Florida told The Globe and Mail that Toronto could become a major world centre of research and economic activity.
The city today is at an "inflection point," he said. "My own view is that Toronto can position itself in the next decade as a first-tier mega-region and that would require bolstering the universities, leveraging the quality of life and continuing to attract immigrants," he said. "I think Toronto is very, very close to that."
Prof. Florida taught for almost 20 years at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and has also been a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He works as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization and writes for newspapers and general-interest magazines. In 2005, Prof. Florida was named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best and Brightest."
In his 2002 book The Rise of the Creative Class, he argued that if a city concentrates on embracing its bohemians, it is better suited for the "three Ts" of economic growth: technology, talent and tolerance.
Moreover, he argued that the more gay-friendly a city is, the more susceptible it will be to economic prosperity, because of its open-mindedness.
"It's an extraordinarily wonderful complement to our city and proof of Florida's very own theorem that he posited that Toronto is one of the most creative cities on the globe," said Rita Davies, executive director of the city's cultural division.
In fact, there should be another "T" added to Prof. Florida's "three T's" of economic growth, Ms. Davies said, and that "T" should stand for Toronto. "I think that the kind of creative city Florida envisioned ... is really well epitomized by Toronto, where we have a society that has learned to live together."
Mr. McGuffin said Prof. Florida would not be commenting until the details of his Toronto move are finalized.
AoD
