Why you feel good about the rise of the area's 'Creative Class'

"WendyPeter," Robert Trudeau, 2004

Advises my droll friend and economic development director from Aurora, OR, Ray Teasley: "Check out www.creativeclass.org - Richard Florida's website. Florida, the economist who advises cities to make investments in things that will attract "young creatives" (such as the arts) would certainly approve of your your website as a local economic development project. Author of "The Rise of the Creative Class" and a new book just out, Florida could give you some ammo for arts grant proposals. Could also be a
suitable link from your blog. As to whether his
theories and recommendations actually work, well...
encouraging people to be cool is certainly a worthy
enough pursuit for its own sake is it not?

In regards economic development, local architect Kim Mitchell of Morgan Hill Sutton and Mitchell, has ideas pertinent to Shreveport's future. His blog, Competitive Communities, may be dense of prose but is research-based and cautionary. For instance, in the recent post he asks "Do big box chain stores ... add real economic value to communities?" I think you will see relevance to Shreveport in his response.