The Decline of the Creative Class in Cities

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When we had cities whose kind of economic bases were more dependent on industrial work, there was a desire to keep property prices and housing prices low. But when you replace industry that makes things with the finance, insurance and real estate, they make their money off of infinite financial growth. And so they want everything to get as expensive as possible. They're not making candy themed or candy flavored wines or anything for you. Because it can't be that creative, right? because really what you want to do is like take history, freeze it in amber and then sell it back to people.

Paris Marx is joined by David A. Banks to discuss how cities have been reshaped to attract tech companies and what the consequences have been for the people who live in them.

David A. Banks is the author of The City Authentic: How the Attention Economy Builds Urban America. He’s a lecturer in the Geography and Planning department at University at Albany, SUNY. David also writers Other Day and co-hosts Iron Weeds. Follow David on Twitter at @DA_Banks.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

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