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 FloridaWe need to find ways to transform the more than 60 million service jobs, which make up 45 percent of U.S. employment, in the same way - rewarding workers financially, encouraging and empowering creative participation, creating professional communities, and so on. We can look to any number of new companies - from Zappos, to Starbucks, to American Apparel - for examples of how this idea might play itself out. We need to do more to make service jobs into higher-paying family-supporting jobs of the future.
Richard FloridaSnoop is a tour de force! Itโs one of the smartest and most original books Iโve come across in a long time. I devoured it and then rushed over to clean up my desk and change my iPod playlist.
Richard FloridaNew Jersey boasts the highest percentage of passport holders (68%); Delaware (67%), Alaska (65%), Massachusetts (63%), New York (62%), and California (60%) are close behind. At the opposite end of the spectrum, less than one in five residents of Mississippi are passport holders, and just one in four residents of West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Arkansas.
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 FloridaThere's no getting around the fact that some cities face long odds, and governments and societies are going to be confronted with some hard decisions. Most importantly, cities have to recognize that in times of crisis they have to help themselves. Governments, no matter how well intentioned, can only do so much, especially when they themselves are so strapped for cash, as the U.S. is now. Government money will probably flow to cities and regions with good prospects for the future, so as not to risk money even further by pouring it into stalled economic models.
Richard FloridaEconomies and societies invariably remake themselves in the wake of a crisis. It's a necessary component of rebound and recovery. Outmoded industries and tired consumption habits make way for new goods and services, new careers and forms of employment, and population realigns itself in the landscape. All these developments are connected to lifestyle changes.
Richard Florida