I've been very suspicious of Richard Florida-ism (The Rise of the Creative
Class) since I first heard of him. The following article from The New
Republic debunks much of Florida-ism and the notion that the past decade or
so has been pretty good for American cities and things are getting
better. Minneapolis is mentioned twice. The policies discussed are
relevant here as in any big American city.
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w050523&s=kotkin052305
Some excerpts:
"..the renaissance of American cities has been greatly overstated--and this
unwarranted optimism is doing a disservice to cities themselves. Urban
politics has become self-satisfied and triumphalist, content to see cities
promote the appearance of thriving while failing to serve the very
people--families, immigrants, often minorities--who most need cities to be
decent, livable places."
-Myth No. 1: Cities are again gaining people.
"..Cities, meanwhile, are becoming ever smaller parts of their metro areas.
Minneapolis is a prime example. In the '90s the Midwestern city's
population grew roughly four percent. Since 2000 it has shrunk by 2.5
percent, losing some 10,000 people; in contrast the surrounding suburban
region grew by over 100,000.
"..Overall, the back to downtown movement has constituted.. 'more of a
trickle than a rush.' "
-Myth No. 2: Cities are where the successful people are.
"..today, many educated people come to the cities for a relatively brief
period of their lives, notably their twenties, only to return to their
hometowns, smaller cities, or suburbs as they reach their thirties. And
with improvements in telecommunications technology, increasingly they find
they can compete just as well from outside cities as from inside them."
-Myth No. 3: Cool cities attract the best jobs; uncool cities don't.
"..the dominant player in global merchandising, Wal-Mart, operates out of
the cool metropolis of Bentonville, Arkansas."
"These myths are particularly problematic when they become the basis for
policy. And in many cities, that is exactly what is happening. Policies
based on these myths aren't just a waste of time and resources. They are
also distracting cities from the real work of securing their future..
deal(ing) with the hard issues like public education, job training,
promoting small companies, and transportation"
"Many mayors and governors seem to be relying on a "bread and circuses"
strategy for revitalizing their cities. According to this logic, if cities
can only put on a better show--in terms of arts, sports, conventions, and
other amusements--they will become irresistible not only to tourists but
also to educated workers and the companies that employ them."
"Cities must return to a progressive focus on fixing their real
problems--that is, the problems of the majority of the people who live
there--not serving the interests of artists, hipsters, and their wealthy
patrons. Right now school reform is often hostage to the power of teachers'
unions. City budgets, which could be applied to improving economic
infrastructure, are frequently bloated by, among other things, excessive
public sector employment and overgenerous pensions. In the contest for the
remaining public funds, the knitted interests of downtown property holders,
arts foundations, sports promoters, and nightclub owners often overwhelm
those of more conventional small businesses and family-oriented
neighborhoods that could serve as havens for the middle class"
So much of this sounds so familiar..
-Mike Jensvold
East Isles
REMINDERS:
1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If
you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL
PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:[email protected]
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
