Canada's Cities Need More Creativity, Says Richard Florida

In this excerpt from the Canadian edition of "Who's Your City?" author Richard Florida argues that, while Canada's cities have done well to avoid some of the economic disparities of U.S. cities, they will need to work harder still.

1 minute read

April 15, 2009, 6:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley

"Canada's two biggest mega-regions - basically, the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor and the West Coast - clearly put the country in the global game. Yet they pale in comparison with the world's largest mega-regions and cities, such as Greater Tokyo, Greater London or the powerhouse that stretches from Amsterdam to Antwerp and Brussels.

This country has done a reasonably good job of accommodating global talent, but it will have to do even better. To succeed, its cities must become destinations for the world's best and brightest. They must ensure that newcomers can use all of their skills and talents to contribute to the nation's economic prosperity.

This means greater diversity in the urban centres, and many more families living in the cores. It means more social dynamism and a real sense of equality at street level."

FULL STORY: Our cities are good, but they'll need to be a lot better

Saturday, April 11, 2009 in The Globe and Mail

Community / Economic Development Canada

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