"Creative class" interview

Metromode has an interview of Richard Florida, the academic behind the "creative class" theory that says the survival of post-industrial cities depends on attracting creative types and highly-educated professionals. I didn't think much of the interview (he speaks in slogans like an advertising executive), but his influence is undeniable. The governor's Cool Cities initiative, for example, cites his work.

Update: As a counterpoint, here's a City Journal article that argues that only low taxes and basic services lead to job growth. An unimaginative and reductive argument, but it surely has some truth as well. Detroit may build a bohemian center amidst present-day decay, but the city cannot attract a flourishing middle class without efficient, effective governance. If taxes are going to be high (as they are in most major cities), they need to be put to very good use.