Keynote from 2009 Conference

1. A West Virginia
Creative Economy
Kevin Stolarick, PhD
Research Director

2. The Rise of the Creative Class
2

3. The Rise of the Creative Class
Creative
Service
Working
Farming
3

4. U.S. Creative Economy
Knowledge Service Working
Workers (Talent) 40,379,520 59,769,270 31,949,350
% of Workforce 30.5% 45.1% 24.1%
% of Wages 48.8% 30.4% 20.6%
4

5. U.S. Creative Class
• 30 (% of the workforce)
• 40 (million people)
• 50 (% of the wages)
• 70 (% of the discretionary income)
5

6. West Virginia’s Creative Economy
Knowledge Service Working
Workers (Talent) 183,310 319,900 191,700
% of Workforce 26.3% 45.9% 27.5%
% of Wages 41.7% 30.9% 27.2%
6

7. Who Works in Creative Class?
Creative Class: TAPE
T = Technology and R&D Innovation
A = Arts and Culture
P = Professional and Managerial
E = Educating and Training
7

8. Who are the 40 Million?
Occupations Workers Salary ($B)
Computer and mathematical 3,076,200 212.99
T
Architecture and engineering 2,430,260 160.85
Life, physical, and social science 1,231,070 73.45
Healthcare practitioners and technical 6,713,760 416.46
A Arts, design, entertainment, and media 1,727,390 72.09
Management 5,892,930 541.72
P
Business and financial operations 5,826,140 349.55
Legal 976,740 83.37
Sales and related occupations 4,298,580 249.76
E Education, training, and library occupations 8,206,450 371.91
Total 40,379,520 2,532
8

9. U.S. Creative Sector Growth
Occupations Growth New Jobs
(2004-2014) (000; by 2014)
Computer and mathematical 30.7% 1,389
Architecture and engineering 17.1% 876
T Life, physical, and social science 16.4% 531
Healthcare practitioners and technical 25.8% 3,047
A Arts, design, entertainment, and media 14.9% 851
Management 11.3% 2,757
Business and financial operations 19.1% 2,163
P Legal 15.9% 336
Sales and related occupations 9.6% 408
E Education, training, and library occupations 20.0% 3,558
9

10. The “4 T Theory” of Regional
Prosperity
Talent
Regional
Growth and
Technology Tolerance Prosperity
Territory Assets
10

11. Benchmarking West Virginia (and its Regions)
11

12. West Virginia - Overall
12

13. Technology
“A high technology base is both a
necessary condition for and a result
of a region having a strong creative
economy.
Being known as a "high-tech" region
helps to attract the creative
workforce, which, in turn, generates
new technologies making the region
even more high-tech.”
13

14. West Virginia - Technology
14

15. Talent
“The concentration of people in the
Creative and Super Creative Classes,
has a stronger relationship with
economic growth.
Creative people don't just cluster
where the jobs are. They cluster in
places that are centers of creativity
and also where they like to live.
Places need a people climate -- or a
creativity climate -- as well as a
business climate.”
15

16. West Virginia - Talent
16

17. Tolerance (Diversity / Inclusiveness)
“Diversity has become a politically
charged buzzword. To some it is an
ideal and rallying cry, to others a
Trojan-horse concept that has
brought us affirmative action and
other liberal abominations.
Creative Class people use the word
often, but not to press any political hot
buttons. Diversity is simply something
they value in all its manifestations.”
17

18. West Virginia - Tolerance
18

19. Territory Assets
“What Creative people look for in
communities are abundant high-
quality amenities and experiences,
an openness to diversity of all kinds,
and above all else the opportunity to
validate their identities as creative
people.
Places are valued for authenticity
and uniqueness … Authenticity
comes from several aspects of a
community … It comes from the mix
… Authenticity is the opposite of
generic.”
19

20. Territory Assets (Quality of Place)
• Economy/Growth
• Housing
• Culture
• Climate
• Education
• Healthcare
• Recreation
• Dis-amenities
– Crime, Weather
• Transportation
– Connectedness
20

21. Creativity Index
“The key to understanding the new
economic geography of creativity and its
effects on economic outcomes lies in
the 3T's of economic development:
Technology, Talent, and Tolerance.
Each is a necessary but by itself an
insufficient condition: To attract creative
people, generate innovation and
stimulate economic growth, a place
must have all three.”
Leading Indicator
21

22. Creativity Index – Leading Indicator
% of
Benchmark
Average
Region (100 = Average)
West Virginia 37%
Charleston 75%
Hagerstown 61%
Huntington 63%
Morgantown 89%
Parkersburg 70%
Washington DC 106%
Weirton 66%
Wheeling 75%
Winchester 98%
22

23. Creative Class Theory Outside “Major”
Urban Centers
23

24. “Urban” Policy
Urban policy
is not
social policy.
24

25. “Urban” Policy
Urban policy
is not
social policy.
Urban policy
is
economic policy.
25

26. “Urban” Policy
What about “non-urban” areas??
• ThinkBig
• Look Big
• Use a shotgun, not a rifle
26

27. Think Big
27

28. Look Big
28

29. “I can see the cities...”
29

30. 30

31. Betwixt & Between
31

32. Betwixt & Between
32

33. Use a Shotgun not a Rifle
33

34. Closing Story – Prince Edward County Ontario
• “A Fool & Forty Acres”
• “Creative Tourism”
•  Creative Residents
•  More Creative Residents
• Fine (local) Food, Wine, Art
•  Digital Media, Consulting, others
• Leveraging Location
• Reinforcing Serendipity
34

35. For More Information
• Richard Florida’s books
– “The Rise of the Creative Class”
– “The Flight of the Creative Class”
– “Who’s Your City?”
• www.martinprosperityinstitute.org
• www.creativeclass.com
35

36. Thank You
Kevin Stolarick
kms@rotman.utoronto.ca