Hit Barcelona: Richard Florida and New Ways of Living
Article by Emily Goligoski
Author and urbanist Richard Florida said his first visit to Barcelona since 1985 has seen dramatic changes to the city. Credit private and public partnerships or hosting Olympic Games (“but many cities have done that”)—he says that a combination of these factors along with political vision has made the Spanish city a metropolitan area that stands apart as the focal point of its economy. “Today in Spain, as in the US, 30 percent or more of people work in the creative sector—design, science, tech, arts, media, management, research—and that’s up from less than five percent 50 years ago,” Florida told the Symposium on Urban Clusters and Parks as part of the HiT innovation summit.
A few weeks after the English publication of his book “The Great Reset,” Florida, founder of the The Creative Class Group and author of the book of the same name, is no stranger to the effects that the financial crisis has had on global business. In observing solutions he’s looked to innovation centers, particularly “mega regions,” that attempt to tap their citizens’ creative potential. Those that make best use of dense space—and Barcelona falls within the eleventh largest mega region—increase livability with access to mobility (including high-speed rails), education, and natural spaces. Abundant green areas fall within the latter, says Florida, who doesn’t underestimate the impact of protected bike lanes or bicycle sharing programs (bravo Barcelona). Consider them constructive and creative.
Related posts:
- Interview with Jerry Engel, Chairman of the HiT Barcelona Conference
- Drinks & Demo [Mobile Apps] sponsored by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Barcelona Activa in San Francisco
- McClure & Crowley on Accidental Entrepreneurship at HiT Barcelona
- Free registration to attend Innovate!2010 Barcelona Pitch Slam Final
- Opinno at HIT Barcelona
