In this chapter of his book “The Rise of the Creative Class,” Florida talked about a number of things that yet again summarized what we have learned in this class: the vitality of a community.
His method of searching of what people, the epitome of which can be summed up in the term “creative class,” really look for in their neighborhood. Where people work and live, in Florida’s opinion, depends on his so-called “quality of place” or “territorial assets” that accompany a place and make it attractive to people. These assets include “what’s there,” the combination of built and natural environment, “who’s there,” the community that is the center of the neighborhood, “what’s going on,” the vibrancy of the neighborhood. It makes sense when one of the people cited in this chapter said that what he wants, is a place “that is not done,” a place that is constantly in motion and changing its facade every other day, a place where creative minds can find their inspiration drawn out of the neighborhood, the architecture, and the people.
It confuses me, however, when the author claims that creative people prefer traditional suburban lifestyle. When one thinks about the suburb, one can imagine the repetitive scenes of lines of cars leading into the nearby metropolis, of people crowding in old diners for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, of soccer moms driving their kids back in time for dinner, of shutting of the light at 11pm. When one thinks about the suburb, one thinks about repetition, not changes, about what’s done, not about what “is not done.” But what makes even more sense, that not every suburb is an ideal place, the suburbs that the author refers to locate in Long Island, Silicon Valley where easy accessibility is provided into New York City, San Francisco, and vibrant metropolis. Like the author says, the suburb stands alone is not attractive, but when they are located near the cultural hubs that are the cities, they become “product of the openness and diversity of their broader milieu.”
When Florida mentioned Robert Putnam and his theory of social capital, i feel myself lamenting to his painful yet realistic thoughts. People have become increasingly disconnected from one another and from their communities, resulting in a loosening bonds between family, friends, and the broader neighborhood of which they are a part. This weakening bond between people thus leads to detrimental consequences, most of which I can relate to. Look at Baruch College, which has been the beacon of school spirit and strong community in the past, has become today. Longer class time due to a heavier curriculum, increasing pressure of time and the pursuit of internship and jobs identify the first key factor in Robert Putnam’s civic malaise. Second is the fact that Baruch is a commuting school where classmates actually live far away from each other; most of the kids are from Long Island, Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn whereas the school is located in the heart of Manhattan. Third is the plethora of distractions that modern technology presents to the young and naturally easily distracting college students. Instead of socializing with each other, they browse the Internet to watch YouTube, chat with friends in other, way more distant areas on Facebook, or laugh by themselves at one of the memes on 9gag. Fourth is the dominance of the me-generation or the X-generation that makes up the majority of the school. The detrimental consequences that I have mentioned are those that I have already experienced: weakening community, poorer health, less happiness, and a disappearing appreciation for knowledge. The author was lucky to have fared well in his neighborhood in Pittsburg, PA. It sounded like a wonderful place to live and belong to.
