Jessa Crispin with thoughts on some of the obstacles to creating a vibrant city, starting with thoughts on Richard Florida’s theory:
It comes off a little like a home baker trying to recreate a magical dish from the restaurant the night before …. [T]here’s always something you can’t quite place, or something you would never have thought of, like a little turmeric in the sauce or juniper hiding in the bouquet garni. At best it’ll taste off, at worst it will set your stovetop on fire.
At least one of the issues with New York:
Without the tension and the chaos, it’s hard to get a creative spark going. City dwellers become like the men and women on guided tours of Greenwich Village: Maybe they’ll get their tarot cards read, have a conversation with an actor posing as a poet, and then, after they feel they’ve had a real urban experience, they can sleep soundly.
She continues in smart detail. As a frequent dodger of tarot card booths, tour groups, pop-up movie sets, and faux-good stands, I’ll advocate for a bit more friction. I’m seeking out the dish from the night before.
