Renowned researcher Richard Florida, author of the global best-seller “Rise of the Creative Class” and currently senior editor at The Atlantic magazine, reported today (July 9) that Durham, North Carolina is now ranked the number one city in the United States for concentration of creative class workers. Florida, posting on the magazine’s Atlantic Cities website, highlights a recent study conducted by his colleague Kevin Stolarick of the University of Toronto. The study compiles data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to reveal the metropolitan areas with the highest concentrations of creative class labor pools. Topping the list was Durham, where the creative class accounts for nearly 50 percent of the workforce.
Florida is one of the world’s leading public intellectuals on economic competitiveness, demographic trends, and cultural and technological innovation. International diplomats, government leaders, filmmakers, economic development organizations and leading Fortune 100 businesses have benefited from his global approach to problem-solving and strategy development. Florida’s ideas on the “creative class,” commercial innovation and regional development have been featured in major ad campaigns from BMW and Apple, and are being used globally to change the way regions and nations do business and transform their economies.
In the Atlantic Cities post, Florida reported that the creative class, or professionals in the fields of science and technology, design and architecture, arts, entertainment and media, and health care, law, management and education, totals more than 40 million workers in the U.S. That’s more than a third of the total workforce.
The Bull City describes itself as “a colorful, creative, and entrepreneurial community that continuously earns accolades as one of the best places in the world to visit, live, and do business.” Home to world-renowned Duke University and serving as one of three anchor cities to Research Triangle Park, Durham also boasts the following accolades, per the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau:
- No. 1 on Creativity Index
- No. 1 in economic strength for 25 years
- No. 2 most educated area in America
- No. 2 best places to live in the south
- No. 2 healthiest area in America