Florida’s theory on how to attract the members of his Creative Class who are so vital to a region’s economy, places a lot of emphasis on the quality-of-place that the city can create. He identifies various amenities that have been named as personal preferences for a location and community by members of his focus groups. While recreational facilities and other lifestyle amenities are regarded as important, a key component of city attractiveness was the level of arts and cultural amenities it was perceived to possess.[1] However, this did not refer to the typical assets of arts and culture (such as the symphony, opera, theatre and ballet) that have been given attention during the industrial ages of city development; rather, it was a more ephemeral cultural quality that was identified. Participants expressed a preference for more casual, open, inclusive and participative activities and environments.[2] Areas with high concentrations of bohemians created a type of cultural milieu that was very attractive to other talented workers, whether they too had a bohemian occupation or not. [3] Creatives looked for communities which were accepting of diversity, provided a support network to link in to, which would validate their identities as creative people. [4]
Talent, Technology and Tolerance are identified by Florida as the three T’s of economic development. The third, tolerance, encompasses the notion of diversity and acceptance of difference within the community of the city. Focus group evidence conducted by Florida indicated that one of the most important amenities desired by young creative workers was a diverse and cultural demographic population.[5] Arts and culture have a role to play in establishing this kind of environment, and are often seen as signifiers that tolerance and diversity exist.[6] Through her own research, Jane Jacobs also supports that a strong connection exists between ‘creativity, bohemian diversity and vibrant city life’ and similarly, that there is a connection between ‘cultural assets, human capital and innovative industries’.[7] If a city was able to develop these kinds of sentiments within its community, then it was likely to rate high on Florida’s Creative City Index [8] and exhibit signs of strong growth and prosperity. In other words, within the global arena of cities, these cities were considered to form ‘the advance guard of the new place-based creative economy.’ [9]
Like Florida, Gertler also sees the main task for a city towards becoming a recognised creative city, is the attraction and retention of talented individuals. However, he has some additional insights into how this should be done. He points to the level of ‘connective tissue’ within the sector as being essential for its developmental success.[10] By this he means the sense of community within the sector and the institutions and events which exist and allow opportunities for the sector to network within itself and share knowledge and resources.[11] Examples of this, such as the ‘Spadina Bus’ network, are discussed below in the analysis of methods to increase connectivity in the cities of Toronto and London. The existence of vibrant networks, together with a climate of strong financial and moral support for the arts, are identified as the prime methods for attracting and retaining creative workers, as noted in the research of Markusen and King.[12] Gertler points to the need for policy which embodies these considerations and creates space in which the sector can contribute to achieving this kind of environment.[13] He also addresses the need for physical space to be reserved at affordable rates in which the creative sector can flourish, through the use of careful zoning policies that promote this.[14]
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[1] Florida, p. 99
[2] Ibid., p. 85
[3] Ibid., p. 114
[4] Ibid., p. 36
[5] Ibid., p. 76
[6] Ibid., p. 128
[7] Ibid., p. 114
[8] Ibid., p. 44
[9] Ibid., p. 128
[10] Gertler, p. 4
[11] Ibid., p. 9
[12] Ibid., p.4
[13] Ibid., p. 7
[14] Ibid., p. 9