Following in The Footsteps Of Chinatown

From Thai Towns to Little Ethiopias, cultural and ethnically-themed neighborhoods are increasingly sought by cities to lure economic activity and residents.

1 minute read

June 17, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

Developers and cultutral leaders are "negotiating with the city of Long Beach, east of Los Angeles, to create America's first Cambodia Town."

"If they succeed, it will join a fast-growing club. Before 2000 there were four signposted ethnic enclaves in and around Los Angeles: Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown and Little Saigon in Orange County. Since then a Little Armenia has appeared, together with a Thai Town, a Historic Filipinotown, a Little Ethiopia and a second Saigon Town. Other cities are following. Last week San Jose, in northern California, was considering a Vietnamese business district."

"Local officials have long seen such places as a cheap way of luring tourists. More recently, many have been influenced by Richard Florida, a sociologist who argues that young, educated workers are attracted to tolerant melting-pots."

FULL STORY: Ghetto fabulous

Thursday, June 14, 2007 in The Economist

Community / Economic Development United States California

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