How the "Creative Class" can enhance and improve the quality of a city

I’m now reading Richard Florida’s book, "The Rise of the Creative Class". The author is a professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management. He is also a distinguished visiting fellow at NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate.  

In his seminal work, Florida defines the creative class as a “diverse group of engineers and managers, academics and musicians, entrepreneurs and designers, and programmers, unified by their engagement in creative or restorative work.” I will not focus on the details of the creative class but instead will discuss the factors that shape the “quality of place” in our cities and suburbs, which are impacted by the engagement of this creative class.

Orange County Commissioner District 2 Christine Moore

So, how do we improve the quality of our corridors, cities, and suburbs? How do we find creative people to participate in the work?

Florida recommends looking at “what is there and who is there.”  He states the combination of buildings and the natural environment creates a setting primed for success. I recently drove through an unincorporated section of Apopka to find dozens of “no trespassing” signs. You know what that means? The wrong elements are inundating the residents. They need help in reclaiming their neighborhood.

Florida also suggested asking, “What’s going on there?” Is there vibrancy of street life, café culture, arts, music, and people engaging in healthy outdoor activities? Florida believes we must offer active, exciting, and, yes, creative endeavors. While he recommends “street buzz” and “diversity”, he also stands behind residents who want to retreat to the solitude of their home, enjoy a quiet pocket park, or even drive to some nearby rural country-like area.

Successful places provide a range of options, claims Florida. 

The author quotes from another book, Cosmopolitan Culture, which states a great city has two hallmarks: tolerance for strangers and intolerance for mediocrity. These are precisely the qualities that appeal to members of the creative class and are qualities conducive to innovation and the formation of new businesses. 

Florida posits that places should be valued for their “authenticity and uniqueness.” This uniqueness derives from historic buildings, established well-kept neighborhoods, distinctive music scenes, and specific cultural attributes. Our incredible environmental assets, like Rock and Wekiwa Springs and the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, provide authenticity for northwest Orange County.

What we need is more distinction by neighborhood.

On January 20th, the People of Wekiwa Springs and I are cleaning up the Bent Oak right-of-way, making way for a Clay Springs Elementary School “Art Garden.” My Thompson/Votaw area now has a beautiful mural and gathering place.

These types of activities can and should be expanded all over.

Here is a new concept for me: Florida recommends creating “scenes.” Scenes are defined as places where experiences are created and enjoyed. Places are effective areas for “sharing, affirming or rejecting feelings, sensibilities, and values.” This reminds me of Canon Coffee Shop. The owners invite customers in to drink her unique “Apopkan” coffee drink while I display my Apopka Driving Tours. Florida shares other ideas, such as film festivals, tattoo parlors, and punk music, to local craft stores, farmers markets, community centers, and art festivals. 

Another new concept for me is defined in the book by sociologist Manuel Castells as “identity.” He believes that in our constantly changing, post-modern world, where so many traditional institutions no longer exist, fewer people now ask, “where do you live” and rather “where do you work?” 

Castells notes that many of the creative class are interested in getting involved in their communities. He says this is not because they are do-gooders, but because they desire to establish their own identity in a place. I have loved designing and erecting pole banners as a reward for community achievements. The people love the banners as much as I do curating the project.

The author expresses that, at first, social critics complained the ideas in his book were suggesting cities squander money on useless enterprises. However, further research discovered that a place is important to everyone’s happiness and well-being. That’s hardly useless or insignificant.

Psychologist Daniel Gilbert, in his book "Stumbling on Happiness," found the three most important decisions we make in life are “where to live, what to do, and who to do it with.”

The study also indicated that a city's most highly valued attributes are not solely basic services or economic opportunities but the place’s social and cultural amenities, friendliness, and natural and physical beauty. Gallup expanded upon these findings in the Soul of the Community Study. The study found the main qualities that create a memorable and strong sense of place are the social offerings, such as entertainment, places to meet, openness (how welcoming is the community?), and the area’s aesthetics (physical beauty and green spaces).

We have much to be thankful for in District 2. Nevertheless, it is good to strive to be the best. I hope you gathered some fresh ideas from this column and choose to be an active participant in creating a character community.