Book review

What is the main source of economic growth in the twenty-first century? If we listen to today’s analysts and politicians, the answer to this question comprises something like ‘competition’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘technology’. According to the American economist Richard Florida, however, none of these three factors are fundamental growth drivers: in the end, he says, economic growth is driven by human creativity – and because creativity flourishes best in an urban environment, it is a vibrant city that will be the ultimate powerhouse of future economic development. Roughly speaking, this is the main message of the two international bestsellers under review. Since the publication of his first book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida has been on the road across the world. Mayors, policy makers and scientists ... they all ask him for his vision on the city. The popularity of Florida has only grown with the publication of his second book, The Flight of the Creative Class, in which he takes a more global perspective on the relationship between creativity, cities and economic growth.