Richard Florida: Remote Work and "The Rise of the Rest"

<p>The ongoing pandemic has raised big questions about the future of North American cities. For example, we’ve heard for almost a year now that COVID-19 will be the end of cities and the triumph of the suburbs. After all, why would people who could work anywhere choose to live in dense, plague-riddled cities? We’ve published our share of responses to this line of thinking—including articles by <a href='https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/4/21/is-covid-19-the-end-of-cities'>Joe Cortight of City Observatory</a>, <a href='https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/4/20/not-so-fast-density-isnt-plague-inducingnbsp'>Joe Minicozzi of Urban3</a>, and <a href='https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/12/16/will-cities-survive-2020'>others</a>—but the gloomy predictions keep coming.</p> <p>For years, one person we at Strong Towns have turned to <a href='https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/5/10/richard-florida-and-the-new-urban-crisis'>again</a> and <a href='https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2010/8/11/recommended-reading-the-great-reset.html'>again</a> for wisdom on the present and future of cities is <a href='https://creativeclass.com/'>Richard Florida</a>. Florida is a researcher and professor at the University of Toronto, the author of numerous books—including the modern classic, <a href='https://bookshop.org/books/the-rise-of-the-creative-class/9781541617742'>The Rise of the Creative Class</a>—and the co-founder of <a href='https://www.bloomberg.com/citylab'>CityLab</a>.</p> <p>Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn invited Florida back to the Strong Towns podcast to talk about the choices facing cities now and after the pandemic. They discuss Florida’s insight that where talent goes, innovation and economic development are sure to follow...and what that looks like in an era of remote work. “Remote work,” Florida says, “gives the knowledge worker a larger portfolio of choices [of where to live].” What cities are best positioned to attract that talent now? They also talk about the future of superstar cities l