The Rise of the Creative Class

American sociologist and economist Richard Florida argues that creativity plays a growing role in the economy and identifies the rise of a new social class. His Creative Class takes in engineers and programmers, designers and researchers, academics and lawyers, musicians and poets, entrepreneurs and managers, all of whom work by creating new forms. Florida contends that this group increasingly shapes how workplaces are run, which firms succeed and which cities flourish. He profiles the class by occupation, demographics, psychology and economics, and looks at what gives cities and suburbs their quality of place. Published in 2002, it is one of several books Florida has written for general readers on the link between place and economy.

Pittsburgh Technology Council chief executive Audrey Russo included it among the books she recommends to young people interested in her career path.