Who’s Your City?
Something of interest to residents of the Steel Valley on NPR’s Splendid Table, of all things.
Here, Chef Mario Batali lists the books he’s reading this summer. Not a lot of surprises : A Biography, the Newest David Sedaris, but then he comes to this book: Who’s Your City?
Written by Richard Florida, the author of “The rise of the Creative Class,” this book’s premise is simple: Where we choose to live has as profound an impact on our lives as who we choose as a mate and what career we choose. We choose to live near people that share our beliefs and likes, who have our prejudices and goals.
And, if we don’t like the direction our cities are taking, we have only ourselves to blame. Brain drain, new economy, rust belt: It’s all predictable. Successful people congregate around successful people, creating a few “super” cities that power the new Economy. The rest of us choose to sit in dying communities, call talk radio to complain, and wonder why.
Does that sound harsh? I don’t think so. Youngstown has been developing a strong community of young leaders. I visited the Summer Arts Festival at YSU and Wick today, and left feeling invigorated. There’s a lot happening here, a lot of resources that are finally being used by people willing to take a chance in our future.
The choice is yours: Who’s Your City?
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