To me, Richard Florida's promise has never quite connected up with this practice. In other words, it's particularly difficult to apply his ideas. In addition, Florida seems to repackage a variety of ideas from people like Jane Jacobs, Peter Drucker, Charles Landry and others, without appropriate acknowledgement. (This risk is faced by any great popularizer; I once worked for Robert Reich, and Bob periodically faced criticism for borrowing ideas to liberally.)
Yet, in a complex world, Florida offers some relatively simple formulas, and that, I suppose, is the key to his popularity. Yet, if when I want some more practical quidance, I turn to organizations like Partners for Livable Communities and Charles Landry's books, The Creative City, The Art of City Making and The Intercultural City.
Here's a thoughtful critique out of Canada on Florida's work and his most recent book. Read more.
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