| Who's Your City?[back to Richard Florida ’s books] National Best-seller. International Best-seller. Amazon.com book of the month. book websiteVisit the book website at www.whosyourcity.com for additional online features!. Out since March 10th 2008.
Buy your copy from Amazon.com. Who’s Your City?How the Creative Economy is Making the Place Where You Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life. It’s a mantra of the age of globalization that where you live doesn’t matter: you can telecommute to your high-tech Silicon Valley job, a ski-slope in Idaho, a beach in Hawaii or a loft in Chicago; you can innovate from Shanghai or Bangalore. According to Richard Florida, this is wrong. Place is not only important, it’s more important than ever. Globalization is not flattening the world; on the contrary, the world is spiky. Place is becoming more relevant to the global economy and our individual lives. The choice of where to live, therefore, is not an arbitrary one. It is arguably the most important decision we make, as important as choosing a spouse or a career. In fact, place exerts powerful influence over the jobs and careers we have access to, the people meet and our “mating markets” and our ability to lead happy and fulfilled lives. Who’s Your City provides the first ever-rankings of cities by life-stage, rating the best places for singles, young families and empty-nesters. And it grounds its new ideas and data to provide an essential guide for the more than 40 million Americans of who move each year on how to choose where to live, and what those choices mean for their lives, happiness and communities. praiseInternational Best Seller List CEO Read, May 5th, 2008 Best Seller List The Globe and Mail, April 12th, 2008 Best Seller List Denver Post April 1st, 2008 ‘Best Book of the Month’ Amazon March, 2008 Best Seller List Montreal Gazette March 30, 2008 International Best Seller List MacLeans Business Magazine March, 2008 Number 1 Best Seller (nonfiction) Amazon (Canada), March 2008 Best Seller List El Paso Times, March, 2008 “Working with a number of collaborators, Florida musters an impressive array of evidence, tracking the experiences of a variety of demographics (twentys omethings, stroller couples, empty nesters) to tabulate which areas of the country benefit members of these groups. He concludes by offering a ten-step process. To his credit, Florida acknowledges the deleterious effects on cities of the living patterns he tracks, including gentrification and the disruption of older urban communities.” Mike Newirth, Time Out Chicago / Issue 160 March 20–26, 2008 “These are intriguing trends and Florida is an authoritative and entertaining observer. He pulls together many of the things we see around us in high street and housing markets into an illuminating narrative of demography and urban and economic development.” By John Gapper, The Financial Times March 19th 2008 “...the most entertaining chapter addresses America's distribution of what psychologists call the ‘big five personality traits’” Chronicles of Higher Education, March 20th 2008 “...this thought-provoking and seminal work will surely be studied, not only by scholars but more importantly by consumers pondering a move. Following Florida's advice should aid them in that quest. Highly recommended for all libraries”. Richard Drezen, Washington Post/NYC Bureau “The world is not flat, and Richard Florida is the man to tell you why where you choose to live is more important than ever. Passionate and thoughtful, this book is an indispensable guide to the way our cities really work. The spirit of Jane Jacobs lives on." Tim Harford, Financial Times columnist and author of The Logic of Life. “This book says all that I could never put into words about why certain cities sing to certain people. If I could talk like Florida writes, I wouldn't have needed a campaign staff." John Hickenlooper, Mayor of the City of Denver “Who’s Your City is another breakthrough idea by urban life genius Richard Florida. The power of place has everything to do with our success well beyond our own recognition. If you are contemplating a move or know someone who is, or are even vaguely interested in the idea of place as self, this book is a must read.” Mario Batali, Chef and Restaurateur “The world is not flat. Three-dimensional 'place' matters more than ever, not less than before. Richard Florida gets it exactly right—again—in Who's Your City?. As a long time advocate of Florida's position here, I will send it to colleagues by the score!" Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence “Richard Florida is a phenomenon. An intellectual entrepreneur...there is no academic quite like him..His first book crystallized a simple idea and introduced it, to general acceptance. ...the book is an intriguing exploration of the global geography of the new urban world.” Joe Berridge –The Globe and Mail, March 15, 2008 “...the author opens up a complex, under examined subject...” PublishersWeekly, December 17 2007 “One of my all-time favorite working life books is Richard Florida’s 2002 bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class. Florida—he of the no collar workforce and Bohemian-Gay housing index fame (down, Stephen Colbert, down!)—is one of the smartest working life observers in the country. Over and over again, with great intellectual elegance, he sets it all up and then spins it forward. So it is with great glee that I announce the latest in Florida’s working life oeuvre, a new book due out from publisher Basic in March called Who’s Your City? If you think working remotely means where you live—your place—doesn’t matter anymore, Florida correctly shows us—with his trademark data and analysis—why you’re dead wrong. The books is a superb treatise on the location paradox: the idea that as the world becomes more mobile, the more decisive location becomes. At first it seems paradoxical. Since we can work remotely, place should hardly matter, right? The world if flat. Distance is dead. But Florida shows how, in the hyper wireless world, place is exerting an even more powerful influence on happiness than ever before due to the power of agglomeration, the force of clustering and the growth of smart spots. Choosing one’s scene is becoming as important as choosing one’s spouse and career, Florida argues. We learn why San Francisco is the best city for young singles; why Washington D.C. is the best place to raise kids; and why New York City is one of the top spots for retirees. Something to look forward to!” Business Week, January 2, 2008
Richard Florida Does It Again Michelle Conlin From the bestselling author of "The Rise of the Creative Class" comes a brilliant new book on the surprising importance of place. "Who's Your City?" offers the first available city rankings by life-stage, rating the best places for singles, families, and empty-nesters to reside. “Who's Your City? is well-documented with statistics, maps and charts for the scholarly. But Florida's down-to-earth writing and 10-step plan for choosing the place that fits best will help make deciding where to settle a most enjoyable endeavor.” Review by Linda Stankard, Bookpage, March 2008 “...it wasn't till I read "Who's Your City," the new book by Richard Florida, that I grasped the global implications of what's going on in the...real estate market.” Carol Lloyd, San Francisco Chronicle, March 7 2008 ”...he does present an impressive amount of research in arguing that place is key to personal happiness and that people have the ability to choose the place that's right for them.” Peter Hadekel is a business columnist for The Gazette. March 15th 2008 “...Florida's real contribution here is in providing something of a manual for successful urbanism.” Reviewed by Michael Dudley, Winnipeg Free Press. March 16th 2008 “Florida's thesis makes a lot of sense...his easy-to-grasp concepts will increase your understanding of where you live, why it matters and what you can do to make your community better.” By Ernest Hooper, St. Petersburg Times, April 1, 2008 “Florida's work is based on extensive research, including a fascinating new study ... ” Jon Talton, Seattle Times, April 13th, 2008 “...the writer is the thought-provoking intellectual Richard Florida -- who claims in his new book, "Who's Your City?," that the selection of where to live ranks as life's most important decision...” Patrick S. Duffy, Los Angeles Times, April 13th, 2008
articlesPsychologists have shown that human personalities can be classified along five key dimensions. Each of these dimensions has been found to affect key life outcomes. It turns out these personality types are not spread evenly across the country. They cluster and how they cluster tells us much. "Success and contentment may depend as much on choice of location as on choice of spouse or job". Florida — social theorist, geographer, urban planner and guru of the globalization debate — believes the place we choose to live has more of a bearing on future success and happiness than the more micro-level decisions of career and relationships. Everyone has heard the theory by now: Thanks to the Internet and other high-tech elements of globalization, the world is flat. That is, economic forces are increasingly spread across a world without boundaries, helped by everything from faster transportation to the Web. “If everything that exists has a place, place too will have a place, and so on ad infinitum." -- Aristotle. It's not very often that the author of a book discussing economics and sociology for a general readership starts with a quote by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. But when the writer is the thought-provoking intellectual Richard Florida -- who claims in his new book, "Who's Your City?," that the selection of where to live ranks as life's most important decision -- it's easier to see why he found Aristotle's quote both appropriate and prescient. Seattle already has the ingredients of what author Richard Florida calls a superstar city: an abundance of talent, knowledge industries, tolerance and the kind of dense, urban fabric that encourages the creative class to thrive. Discussion of three maps in Who's Your City? Portland and Who's Your City? Calgary and Who's Your City? The Singles Map Considering your next big career move? In exclusive excerpts from his new book, “Who’s Your City?,” Richard Florida explains why that decision should be all about location, location, location — and profiles the top new regions for great jobs and companies. Richard Florida wants us to add another dynamic to the life-altering decisions we make: where we live How Toronto fell over heels for an American urbanist named Florida. Which cities have a surplus of single men (or women)- and what that means for the country Review by Andrew Welsh-Huggins of the Associated Press Book review by The Candaian Press that says forget flat world theory of globalization Denver grabs lofty rank in global economy “…the most entertaining chapter addresses America's distribution of what psychologists call the "big five personality traits": Here are the top 10 hardcover fiction and non-fiction books in Canada compiled by Maclean's magazine. Financial Times review of Who's Your City? Who's Your City? ranks in at 2nd best seller by the West Side Barnes and Noble in El Paso. 'Economic Geographer' Richard Florida says location matters more than ever in today's global economy, which is powered by a surprisingly small number of places. We make three critical choices in our modern, globalized lives. One's job: What to do? One's partner: Who to do it with? One's home: Where to live? Today on Word of Mouth, writer and researcher Richard Florida tells us why picking a place to live may be the most important decision we ever make. How places are experiencing unprecedented decline and threaten to become tomorrow's slums. "Who's Your City? is an emotional call to action for people to live in cities and towns that best suit their personalities" says the Australian Financial Review. Toronto Globe and Mail-Richard Florida always believed the world was shaped primarily by social and economic factors. Then he discovered the central role played by psychology. William R. Winkeke and why Madison is a fine place to live Rotman School of Management Press Release for Who's Your City? It’s a mantra of the age of globalization that where we live doesn’t matter. We can innovate just as easily from a ski chalet in Aspen or a beachhouse in Provence as in the office of a Silicon Valley startup. Nations have long been considered the fundamental economic units of the world, but that distinction no longer holds true. Today, the natural units -and engines- of the global economy are megaregions, cities and suburbs in powerful conurbations, at times spanning national borders, forming vast swaths of trade, transport, innovation and talent. Book review by Linda Stankard of BookPage ...this thought-provoking and seminal work will surely be studied, not only by scholars but more importantly by consumers pondering a move... Why were we live can be as important as whom we marry. In an exclusive excerpt, the guru of the Creative Class explains the peaks and valleys of the global economy. Book Review Time Out Chicago
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| related"...personality types are not spread evenly across the country. They cluster..." Richard Florida speaks as part of the Alberta College of Art and Design's Stirring Culture series Richard Florida appears as part of Stirring Culture, the Alberta College of Art and Design's speaker series. In his latest, Who's Your City, Florida explores the idea that mega regions have replaced countries as the primary economic drivers of the global economy. Hamburg May 2008 - Identity Management : Richard Florida Keynote Speaker. In a globalized world, the importance of place will increase rather than vanish. Where we live is becoming an increasingly important aspect of our lives. Author Richard Florida looks at America's "psychogeography" and says personality types tend to cluster—and that understanding those clusters can help us understand the economies and futures of different regions. Aaron Hotfelder recently interviewed Professor Florida about why the choice of where to live is more important than ever, why it's a decision so often overlooked, and how to find the perfect city for you. For The Realtor.Com Addict Who Dreams Of Living Somewhere Else-If She Could Only Figure Out Where Over the past decade or so, greater Portland has developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the nation's very best places to live. North Texas has 46,300 more single men than single women - the fourth-largest male surplus in the country. " Who's Your City? is another breakthrough idea by urban life genius Richard Florida. If you are contemplating a move or know someone who is, or are even vaguely interested in the idea of place as self, this book is a must read." If you're a single woman in the Valley, it might be your fault. A new study shows that there are 65,330 more single men than women, age 20 to 64, in Phoenix. In fact, the entire West is awash with single men, according to figures in a new book, Who's Your City? by Richard Florida. The Singles Map Green space, parks and transit can lift Las Vegas' standing WHICH OF THESE two decisions do you think has a bigger impact on someone’s life: finding the right job, or finding the right significant other? No one’s going to argue with the notion that where you live affects your employment prospects. But the place you call home has a lot to do with your chances of finding the right partner as well. Having an enticing “mating market” matters as much or more than a vibrant labor market. Featured Story Interview with Metromode Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” gave an interview recently in which he said great things about Dayton. Florida’s Toronto-based consulting group is working with the region’s creative-class types to imagine, organize and realize initiatives that excite especially young and talented people, but that also make a community a better place for everybody. According to Richard Florida, "the good life can be found in places like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Holland", Michigan. Denver and Boulder rank high as "cool cities" Richard Florida notes the world is not 'flat' as we have been led to believe. "People and Institutions. Education, Demographics, Human Geography, Humanity, Communities, Families, etc" Who's Your City? Review How new 'creative classes' are changing cities around the world. Worcester is one of the best cities to raise a family according to Richard Florida Honolulu ideal for empty nesters Cities that are defying the current downturn trend. New Hampshire Union Leader Staff, Benjamin Kepple comments on Manchester's rankings per Who's Your City? The way we house people today seems a bit out of sync with other demands of our highly mobile and flexible economy. Review of Who's Your City by Subterranean Books Event in Hamburg, Germany discusses "choice of city defines your identity" Richard Florida ranks St. Lucia 4 out of 5 for best places for retirees to live in new book, "Who's Your City?" Why the place you choose to live is the most important decision of your life Thriving economies best grow from places that benefit from tolerance, inclusiveness in culturally rich, creative environments
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| communitiesThe Creative Region Initiative was launched with the help of Richard Florida who urges communities to develop a creative class of artists and engineers, musicians and high-tech workers — people who think and create for a living — in order to thrive economically. A Youth festival, green sunshine projects, increased success for young businesses, a more vibrant artistic community and communication channels to promote each of them will be put into place in Noosa over the course of the next year. Stage III of Noosa’s Creative Communities project was held at Noosaville, with 30 of the region’s best and brightest taking part in a two-day Creative Communities Leadership Program workshop designed to identify some key initiatives to generate greater economic prosperity. If Dayton wanted to impress somebody, it could do worse than Richard Florida. Recently, he gave an interview in which he said: "I was just in Cincinnati and in Dayton, another city I love. They're historical centers of innovation ... from steel innovation to aluminum innovation, to electronics, to the Wright brothers, to the car. This is one of the greatest innovative and entrepreneurial centers in the world. "They have probably one of the greatest clusters of universities in the history of the planet. They're producing phenomenal talent, but, unfortunately, that talent leaves. ... Richard Florida believes creative people come in all colours and that they are the key to the new economy. If he didn't already have a catchy name, Richard Florida could easily be dubbed Mr. T. His celebrated theory of economic prosperity is based on Four T's. And it was his T for Tolerance that landed the personable American professor in Capital T Trouble when he flew into Noosa last November and media coverage played the gay card. The DDN reports on the results of The Creative Region Initiative. The 32 local "creative class catalysts," the moniker given to volunteers given to grow a creative class in Dayton and Springfield areas, announced five initiatives for spurring the area's economy NOOSA and the Sunshine Coast are among Australia's leaders when it comes to attracting and retaining creative talent, according to the findings of a research report commissioned by the Noosa Creative Alliance. Memphis, TN had a new kind of blues. Despite its rich history and amenities, and strong economic engines such as the FedEx headquarters, the city was losing annual job earnings, mainly because it could not hold on to young, bright talent. The 2000 census showed that Memphis' population grew by 6,000 since 1995, but its net income had dropped by $90 million.
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