Sean from Toronto tipped me off to Richard Florida's newest blog Creative Class over at The Globe and Mail. Tip comes via post at Spacing Toronto. You'll want to add both of these to your daily read.
If you haven't been following Florida's take on integrated regional plannig issues impacting Buffalo, make sure to check out the growing critique here - Putting the Buff in Tor-Buff-Chester.
Love this pic! Richard, Sean or anyone - have any more?
__________________________________________________________________________Love this pic! Richard, Sean or anyone - have any more?
Artspace • BAVPA • Woodlawn Row Houses • faq • my flickr
the creativity exchange • top ten or eleven
2 comments:
The international border is a not an insignificant mental and physical barrier to the mega region, and seems to be unique in his collection of mega regions.
Mentally, Ontarioians and Canadians, generally speaking, want the border there.. they want that reminder that they aren't the United States, and are protective of measures to dilute that. That being said, we are annoyed it isn't easier to go shopping there.
Physically, the border poses, again, not insignificant challenges to a mega region. 2 and 3 hour crossing lineups are not uncommon, and cost Canadian companies untold tons of money. As does a high Canadian dollar, though.
I wonder if long crossing times actually HELP Buffalo by encouraging the development of US operations instead of locating them in Canada where costs are typically lower. I mean, if it fast to cross the border, it might be another version of the St. Lawrence Seaway and be another excuse to bypass Buffalo again.
As for Rochester, with all due respect to the city, the Fast Cat Ferry exposed a big problem with the mega region theory... the "What's in it for Toronto?" part.
Florida's article recalls the 1981 book, "The Nine Nations of North America", by Joel Garreau. The author identified 9 regions that each have a unified economic & cultural base. The Great Lakes region (on both sides of the border) is referred to as "The Foundry". The apellation for this region may no longer be accurate, but I think his concept is an interesting one and dovetails with Florida's concept of regional mega-cities.
Chip
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