From a report at KCET.org (via Calculated Risk):
For the past few years, the Inland Empire in Riverside County has been one of the fastest growing counties in the state – home to a major housing boom. But now the Inland Empire is pretty much the poster child for the foreclosure crisis. SoCal Connected tracked down some surreal sights associated with the crisis, including a guy who started a business turning abandoned, dead lawns green – with spray-paint.
Isn’t this the same place some economic development types were touting as a fundamental critique of the creativity thesis?
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 am
Spray painting lawns – can’t say that isn’t creative. Silly and probably unattractive, but definitely creative.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:55 am
I don’t think Riverside is a critique of the creativity thesis. But I don’t agree that foreclosures (or spray-paint) are sufficient evidence of Riverside’s failure, or its longer-term economic development prospects. If Riverside can hang on to the droves of young people who have moved there in recent years–perhaps by embracing some of your creative class strategies–then I think it stands a good chance of bouncing back, especially compared to other areas of California.