Sydney's creative economy: social and spatial challenges

The recent popularity of Richard Florida's work on the rise of the 'creative class' invites attention not only on the size and impact of the creative economy in Australia, but on its geography as well." At the core of Florida's approach is the premise that places compete with each other for a new kind of economic development, fuelled not by the availability of raw materials, cheap labour, or state investment in infrastructure, but by the decisions of producers in creative industries such as film, music, design and advertising to live and work in particular localities. Such creative producers constitute a new social class: the 'creative class'. According to Florida, this class behaves, works, and makes decisions in ways different to 'traditional' classes of managers, workers and petite bourgeoisie. The creative class, more than any other, is now shaping the economy and demography of contemporary cities.