Too much of what led up to the crisis in the old bubble daysโthe conspicuous consumption, the latter-day Gatsbyismโwas fueled by a need to fill a huge emotional and psychological void left by the absence of meaningful work. When people cease to find meaning in work, when work is boring, alienating, and dehumanizing, the only option becomes the urge to consumeโto buy happiness off the shelf, a phenomenon we now know cannot suffice in the long term.
Richard FloridaI think we'll start defining wealth and success differently and develop new approaches to consumption. Things that have always signified wealth and security - home ownership, new cars, luxury goods - have become a burden for many people and will be replaced by more experiential consumption like travel and recreation, self-improvement, and so on. By divesting themselves of certain big-ticket possessions that have been keeping them tied down, people will gain a new freedom to live more meaningful lives. Changes in consumption and lifestyle are key to Great Resets.
Richard FloridaPlaces that succeed in attracting and retaining creative class people prosper; those that fail don't.
Richard FloridaBeneath the surface, unnoticed by many, an even deeper force was at workโthe rise of creativity as a fundamental economic driver, and the rise of a new social class, the Creative Class.
Richard FloridaThe creative individual is no longer viewed as an iconoclast. Heโor sheโis the new mainstream.
Richard FloridaWe need to remake and reinvent our housing system so that it supports the flexibility and mobility of our economic system broadly. Home-ownership is rewarded by the federal tax code, which made great sense when that piece of the American Dream, and all the consumption that came with it, was essential to rebuilding the economy. These days, however, it feels like a huge penalty to people who want to travel light within the new mobile economy without a mortgage to hold them back.
Richard FloridaWe are the only major developed nation that isn't investing meaningfully in high-speed rail, and I believe we're making a mistake. Transportation systems that are fast and efficient and environmentally clean are going to enable the formation of these new mega-regions, the heart of the spatial fix. We need to be able to accelerate the movement of people, goods, and services - the very movement of ideas, knowledge, and creativity - between our major population centers. We have to build these links.
Richard Florida