Does Bicycle Friendliness Contribute to a City’s Economic Development

richard%20florida.jpg Richard Florida quotes Wendy Waters in "All About Cities" noting that City planners and economic development specialists are spending increasing amounts of time trying to make their cities attractive to younger, educated workers and the companies that wish to hire them. She quotes Dave Atkins: "The bike component is a key feature for any city to achieve the kind of living balance that so many of us want these days. We don’t want to commute by car in from the suburbs. We want to be a part of where we live and work. The bike can really help that feeling of connectedness."

She concludes that " Being able to travel by bicycle somehow makes a giant metro area seem more friendly and relaxed. And, I agree could be a factor in attracting and retaining talented people".

Richard Florida thinks it is a "class" thing."To some, cyclists on skinny tired road bikes decked out in lycra are "rich folks." More than once people have by yelled nasty things at me, including questioning my sexual orientation. All in all, I take it as class anger and frustration, especially in places where class divides are stark." ::Richard Florida