KEEP CALM CARRY ON
Richard Florida explains why Americas cities will thrive in a post Covid world

By Craig M. Douglas
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 28, 2021

Richard Florida has studied cities and urban economies for 40 years, and not once had he come across any mention of the effects from a pandemic.

And so it was in the early stages of the Covid-19 crisis that Florida set out to learn as much as he could about the “arc of urbanization” in the context of plagues, pestilence and infectious diseases over the past two millennia. His conclusion: Keep calm and carry on, albeit with some caveats when it comes to competition for people and the prospects for downtown business districts with limited amenities.

Florida recently shared his findings as well as his generally bullish outlook for U.S. cities during an exclusive online event hosted by American City Business Journals and broadcast Jan. 28 by all 44 of its newsrooms. The discussion, sponsored by JobsOhio and Cincinnati Innovation District, was moderated by Baltimore Business Journal editor Joanna Sullivan.

Among the highlights from their hour-long discussion:

The long-term effects and opportunities to emerge from the pandemic

The key drivers reshaping downtown business districts

The exodus of businesses and talent from high-cost cities to fast-expanding regions of the country

Cities positioned to be winners and losers in a post-Covid world

How cities are likely to overcome the budget crisis brought on by the pandemic