Recasting the Creative Class to Examine Growth Processes in Rural and Urban Counties

Abstract

McGranahan D. and Wojan T. (2007) Recasting the creative class to examine growth processes in rural and urban counties, Regional Studies 41, 1-20. Richard Florida's Rise of the Creative Class (2002) makes a compelling argument that regional development now depends on novel combinations of knowledge and ideas, that certain occupations specialize in this task, that people in these occupations are drawn to areas providing a high quality of life, and thus the essential development strategy is to create an environment that attracts and retains these workers. The present analysis of recent rural development in rural US counties, which focuses on natural amenities as quality of life indicators, supports the creative class thesis. A repetition for urban counties also shows a strong relationship between creative class presence and growth, although natural amenities play a smaller role. However, the results depend on a recast creative class measure, which excludes from the original Florida measure many occupations with low creativity requirements and those involved primarily in economic reproduction. The measure conforms more closely to the concept of creative class and proves to be more highly associated with regional development than the original Florida measure. McGranahan D. et Wojan T. (2007) Reformuler la classe creatrice pour examiner les processus de croissance dans les comtes ruraux et urbains, Regional Studies 41, 1-20. Dans son livre Rise of the Creative Class (L'Essor de la classe creatrice) (2002), Richard Florida affirme de facon convaincante que, de nos jours, l'amenagement du territoire depend des combinaisons originales de la connaissance et des idees, que certaines categories socioprofessionnelles se specialisent dans cette tache, que ceux qui travaillent dans de telles categories sont pousses vers des professions qui offrent une qualite de la vie elevee, et donc la strategie cle est de creer un milieu qui attire et retient ces travailleurs. L'analyse du developpement rural recent dans les comtes ruraux aux E-U qui porte sur l'equipement naturel comme indicateur de la qualite de la vie, confirme la these qui prone la classe creatrice. Repeter l'analyse pour les comtes urbains montre aussi une correlation etroite entre la presence de la classe creatrice et la croissance, alors que l'equipement naturel joue un moindre role. Cependant, les resultats dependent d'une mesure de la classe creatrice reformulee qui exclut de la mesure originale de Florida beaucoup des professions dont les criteres de creativite sont peu importants et dont les employes travaillent principalement dans la production economique. La mesure se conforme plus etroitement a la notion de la classe creatrice et s'avere en correlation plus etroite avec l'amenagement du territoire que ne le fait la mesure originale de Florida. Equipement Validite du concept Professions Amenagement du territoire McGranahan D. und Wojan T. (2007) Neues Modell der kreativen Klasse zur Untersuchung von Wachstumsprozessen in landlichen und stadtischen Bezirken, Reg...

Creative capacity for sustainable development: a comparative analysis of the European and Turkish rural regions

“…In contrast, late studies (i.e. McGranahan and Wojan, 2007;Gülümser et al, 2009) showed that the increase of creative class does not depend on the physical distance or R&D, but depends on the attractiveness capacity of rural regions and the motivation of entrepreneurs. Thus, there is no single sign of the association between physical distance and rural creative capacity but the reduction of the physical distance which can be obtained by the increase of the accessibility and different mode of transportation and also by the decrease of travel time and cost can be measured by the increase of individuals reaching the rural regions with their own abilities.…”

“…In contrast, rural regions have become subject to creative capacity studies in the last few years. These late applications showed that rural creative capacity calls for a rural specific approach as urban specific creativity theories and methods misrepresent/underestimate the creative capacity of rural regions (McGranahan and Wojan, 2007).…”

Trade between Creative Regions When the Input Elasticity of Substitution is Less than Unity

“…McGranahan and Wojan (2007) concentrate on rural counties in the United States and find support for Florida's creative class thesis. Donegan and Lowe (2008) contend that cities with a large creative talent pool are also more likely to have substantial income inequality.…”

High Performance in Complex Spatial Systems: A Self-Organizing Mapping Approach with Reference to the Netherlands

“…Such firms represent a powerful medium for inducing and encouraging the creation of new businesses and jobs; are a promising source of wealth for society; and form an important element of a vital urban or regional economy (see e.g., Florida, 2002Florida, , 2004Lee et al, 2004;McGranahan and Timothy, 2007).…”