Cultivating the Creative Class: And What About Nanaimo?

Abstract

Despite widespread adoption of creative class economic development strategies, one of its basic tenets—the connection between community tolerance (running through talented individuals and high-tech employment) and economic health and growth—has not been sufficiently tested. This analysis of 40 midsized Canadian urban areas finds a connection between diversity and gay and creative populations and economic health. Neither high-tech employment nor economic growth, however, was found to be linked to the other measures. Although there is some evidence that amenity- and creative class-based economic development strategies can be effective, they do not appear to be sufficient in themselves. Other local policies (e.g., basic marketing to tourists, infrastructure improvements, and traditional business attraction and retention strategies) combined with a measure of “place luck” seem to be important ingredients as well.

Evaluation System for Factors Affecting Creativity in the Lithuanian Armed Forces / Kūrybiškumą Veikiančių Veiksnių Vertinimo Sistema Lietuvos Kariuomenėje

“…Factors related to the institutional support are: labour market mobility (Lorenz et al 2010), education system (Lorenz, Lundvall 2010;Spencer 2011), innovations in residential areas (Walcott 2002;Sands, Reese 2008), economic diversity in residential areas (Desrochers, Leppälä 2010), university system (Florida 2005), cluster system (Schoales 2006;Jucevičius 2009), public investment in education and research, and tax incentives for scientists and their researches (Schoales 2006).…”

“…Factors related to the sets of values and norms are: public culture (Glaveanu 2010), tolerance (Sands, Reese 2008), local environment's tolerance, diversity and size of the residential area (Spencer 2011), revolutionary (major) changes (Livingstone et al 2002), competition, and social mobility (Pruskus 2004;Simon 2005;Klimašauskienė 2007). Creativity is considered as a complicated and complex social phenomenon, as it is influenced by many interrelated factors acting in opposite directions.…”

Finding Space for the Creative Class: A Review of the Issues

“…Other applications of the creative class approach to Canada have concluded that the arts effect is really a product of large cities having critical mass rather than to causal interactions among the factors alleged to promote creativity (Lewis & Donald, 2010). A longitudinal study of 40 smaller Canadian cities has found that the creative class rubric is a poor predictor of local economic success (Sands & Reese, 2008).…”

Prosperity and the New Economy in Canada’s major city regions

“…Richard Florida (2002) suggests that factors such as tolerance and the presence of talented individuals (regardless of occupation) are essential to economic prosperity. Although Florida's causal linkages have not been empirically verified (see Madden 2001 andReese 2008), there is nevertheless an intuitive appeal to economic development strategies that emphasize tolerance of others and culture. In any case, including such factors may result in improved understanding of the potential for achieving local economic prosperity.…”