Growing a Creative Economy - One Experiment

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The “creative economy” creates buzz. But can it be created? Grit City (a.k.a. Tacoma, Wash.) tried to find out. The local Chamber of Commerce was the first group to work with Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, and his Creative Class Group in an effort to grow a creative economy. The Chamber recruited 30 community members from business, government, the arts, education, and the non-profit sector to work for one year to address this issue. Florida’s Creative Class Group provided participants the background in the creative economy necessary to build on the existing economy’s strengths and form new competencies. They also provided some support as the community members developed and implemented plans to improve the creative economy. While tangible outcomes were few, the year-long experiment raised awareness about the creative class and its importance to the economy. The year also fostered connections between education, business, the arts, and the community that continue to develop as Grit City moves towards a stronger creative economy.The paper provides an overview of Florida’s creative class theory, then describes the process Tacoma used to promote a creative economy, from the initial building blocks, to the selection process of participants, to the participants’ preparation and charge, to the outcomes of the process. From this foundation, the paper explores how cities can engage people, business, government, and the non-profit sector to create a stronger creative economy.