clusters
« Previous EntriesToronto’s remarkable resiliency to the 2009 recession
Saturday, June 13th, 2009If you exclude manufacturing employment, there were more jobs in Toronto in May 2008 than May 2009, according to the Labour Force Survey produced monthly by Statistics Canada. Jobs in categories that include the financial sector and accounting continue to grow — albeit more slowly than during the boom times.
The last big recession, which […]
From factories to bedrooms and boardrooms
Monday, September 1st, 2008Some North American cities are experiencing strong demand for office, residential and retail space, particularly in the core areas of the metropolis. Meanwhile manufacturing has declined, leaving some former factory buildings under utilized.
A result is that city governments are allowing these spaces to be converted or redeveloped into other uses.
New YorkCity is one such place. […]
Telecommuting is so ex-urban
Saturday, August 16th, 2008Sure, working from home occasionally can offer a productivity boost. Getting away from the phone and co-workers is sometimes necessary to accomplish large, solitary projects or catch up on a dozen loose ends.
But everyone working from home, connecting via the internet and VOIP or video conference to each other is not going to happen. As […]
End of the Megalopolis?
Friday, June 27th, 2008What if the costs of operating an automobile permanently reach or exceed $10 per gallon and alternative fuels cannot offer any savings just an alternative?
Then, we may see the end of the Megalopolis — although not the end of the mega-region.
On CBC’s The National Wednesday night a person interviewed (James Kunstler, I believe) in Kelly […]
Chicago: Creative Capital of the Universe?
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008Fast Company has released the 2008 Fast Cities report. Chicago and London are its cities of the year.
What intrigued me was the statement that Chicago is the creative capital of the universe (at least for 2008, presumably).
The article then offers discussion as to why this is from “creative” residents, including Grant Achatz (business person) […]
4 ways to read “Who’s Your City”
Friday, May 23rd, 2008Richard Florida, Who’s Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life.
Where you choose to live may be the most important decision in your adult life — at least according to Economist Richard Florida. And he makes a compelling case for it in his […]
Clusters and (health) company towns
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 In the 19th and early 20th century many towns and small cities were dominated by one industry or even one company - the factory town. For example: Flint, MI and General Motors or Dearborn, MI and Ford.
Now, in the early 21st century some new company towns are emerging in the US — […]
New lens on New York (Warhol Economy Reviewed)
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007Elizabeth Currid, The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art and Music Drive New York City (Princeton University Press, 2007). See also the earlier post, “Top Three Reasons to Read the Warhol Economy.”
Elizabeth Currid seeks to turn our assumptions about New York’s economy upside down. Most people assume that New York’s economic core and […]
Tales of two border cities
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007Strategies to work around US immigration policies are starting to become more creative, and bizarre. An author at CEOs for Cities is reporting that a consultant speaker at the Mayor’s Hemispheric Forum this week will advocate that the best strategy to revive Detroit is to partner with Windsor, Ontario Canada.
The logic goes, apparently, that […]
Do Corporate Head Offices Still Matter?
Friday, December 8th, 2006For years now, Vancouver has seen the number of corporate head offices in the city decline. The business community and some politicians have become pre-occupied with the issue. Many are demanding that something be done to lure new head offices or keep the ones Vancouver has.
Similar questions are no doubt being raised in many medium […]