The rise of the creative class

There’s been a debate raging amongst city leaders for the last two decades about how to become a city that attracts “the creative class” that propels a city into the global fast lane.

Name drop alert, but it was Tony Wilson who was the first person to tell me to read The Rise of the Creative Class by American urbanist Richard Florida, back in 2003.

Wilson, who sadly passed in 2007, was always a strong advocate for Manchester’s cultural capital being an important plank for the city’s economy.

Florida’s central argument was that civic leaders make their cities as attractive as possible to this so-called creative class. Economic development will naturally flow if they do.

You see evidence of this throughout modern Manchester. The rich Kuwaitis playing Padel, the expansion of global brands like Booking.com and BNY Mellon in the city and this week, a great party to launch iconic Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans.

The signing of a special relationship between the Mayors of Greater Manchester and Japan’s second city Osaka today is just the latest in a series of high profile relationships that stimulate not just tourism, but hard business investment between city regions.

But some people are left behind by this hipster influx, or priced out, making once cool places one-dimensional and boring. Even Richard Florida has also been rethinking his original idea. More recently he has spoken of “a deep and dark side” to urbanism and regeneration that we are all too familiar with.

It’s important then that any economic vision is inclusive. That’s what has shaped the agenda of our Business of Greater Manchester conference on the 1st of October, where we will plenty of vision, and lots of business, but also a real focus on cultural opportunities. 

There are also some “international” investors you probably don’t want. 

The absolute fiasco at Salford Red Devils Rugby League club looks likely to drag on after legal tactics bought the “owners” some time before HMRC next presents a winding up petition in October. In the meantime, the squad depletes, the debts pile up, and the pipe dream of a sports and entertainment complex at the Salford Community Stadium fades even further into fantasy.

I’ve been feeling bleak recently, watching the unchallenged hate spilling onto our streets, and hearing too many stories of bad guys getting away with it. 

I feel we have a responsibility to balance our news with stories of achievements, as well as to tell it like it is.

On balance there is still much to be optimistic about, I think coming to the events I put on are as good a place as any to plug into that positive energy..