Very basically, the Creative Class is made up of anyone that uses creativity to solve problems or to accomplish tasks. So this class is broader than one would initially imagine it to be; the list is lengthy. What Florida has found is that there is a link between economic growth and where the Creative Class prefers to live. The challenge for communities looking for economic growth is to provide that type of environment that appeals to this class. Florida’s “Creative Capital Theory…says that regional economic growth is driven by the location choices of creative people - the holders of creative capital - who prefer places that are diverse, tolerant and open to new ideas.” (pg 223) Fellow researching, Robert Cushing, and Florida discovered four types of communities:

1. Classic Social Capital Communities
2. Organizational Communities
3. Nerdistans
4. Creative Centers (the communities representing the new Creative mainstream)

Cushing found that social capital had little to do with regional economic growth. The high social capital communities showed a strong preference for “social isolation” and “security and stability” and grew the least - their defining attribute being a “close the gates” mentality.” (pg 275) Florida illustrates how two main types of communities impact the resident:

“In a classic social capital community, a relatively small and dense network of strong ties would dominate every aspect of your life, from its day-to-day content to its long-term trajectory. You would hang out mostly with people you know very well and who would shape your career, tastes and personal life according to their values. Life in modern communities is driven more often and in more aspects by a much larger number of loose ties. Interestingly, people seem to prefer it this way. Weak ties allow us to mobilize more resources and more possibilities for ourselves and others, and expose us to novel ideas that are the source of creativity.” (pg 277)

Florida has studies hundreds of communities and has been a consultant to many others. His book cites examples of successful growth, showing how regions have changed to meet the modern demands of a growing Creative Class and economy. He posits,

“… cities need a people climate even more than they need a business climate. This means supporting creativity across the board… and building a community that is attractive to creative people… communities need to be open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities people really want.” (pg 283)

I’ll end this report with a few more quotes:

“Cities and regions need to recognize the importance of incorporating all three facets of the new economic model: technology, talent and tolerance. Without all of these factors working together, communities will be unable to become true Creative Communities and achieve the economic growth and quality of life their citizens deserve.” (pg 302) “What is required… is a shared vision that can motivate the specific actions we choose to take. This vision must reflect the very principles of the Creative Age: that creativity is the fundamental source of economic growth, and that it is an essential part of everyone’s humanity that needs to be cultivated. Such a shared vision can provide a guiding path for any new groups that form and also imbue new direction into our existing institutions and governing bodies.” (pg 318)

The Creative Economy is placing demands on communities to “combine innovation and economic growth with authentic community and a better way of life.” (pg 282) The challenge for Southeast Alaska and our communities is to discover whether or not we are or can be one of those Creative Centers. Read The Rise of the Creative Class and learn more about what Richard Florida has come to understand about the economy and the future.

By the way, I’ve switched the requirement for leaving comments - you no longer need to have a user name and password. Since this site is being hosted on its own domain, I’m thinking I won’t get slammed with junk. We’ll see how it goes. [UPDATE: too much spam arrived. I've switched back to having to register. Sorry for the inconvenience.]

Midcoast Magnet is involved in the upcoming Juice Conference, “designed to connect people and ideas and action: all of the elements to spark growth and prosperity in a creative economy.” This sure sounds like something that would benefit Southeast Alaska!

The State of Maine put together the Creative Economy Community Handbook. It’s a PDF file and an interesting read.

Are you interested in promoting a creative economy in our region? Let me know if you are, the more energy we can get behind this idea, the better.

This post is being written to draw your attention to this organization. Please go check out their website and see what they’re up to. Below, I have posted their Purpose statement. Please especially note sections 3 and 4. I have contacted Russell Heath, SEACC’s executive director, who is also chairman of the Sustainable Economy Committee, concerning sustainable economic development in the Tongass region. If you are also interested in this, contact Russell from SEACC’s website, http://www.seacc.org and ask to be put on his email list. Ultimately, I intend for SEASIDE to be involved with this project and do what it can to promote sustainable economic development in Southeast Alaska.

The following quote is taken from the Tongass Futures Roundtable website, http://www.tongassfutures.net:

“The Tongass Futures Roundtable brings together a diverse group of stakeholders long involved in the Tongass to discuss how to incorporate our economic, cultural, and ecological values in public policy issues throughout the region. The Roundtable seeks to explore how a broad range of stakeholders can address these public policy issues and work together to achieve a long-term balance of healthy and diverse communities, vibrant economies, responsible use of resources -including timber, while maintaining the natural values and ecological integrity of the forest.”

Tongass Futures Roundtable

Purpose
The Roundtable brings together a diverse group of stakeholders long involved in the
Tongass to discuss how to incorporate our economic, cultural, and ecological values in
public policy issues throughout the region. The Roundtable seeks to explore how a broad
range of stakeholders can address these public policy issues and work together to achieve
a long-term balance of healthy and diverse communities, vibrant economies, responsible
use of resources -including timber, while maintaining the natural values and ecological
integrity of the forest.
Convening Values
The Roundtable will include all of those who care for the Tongass by using open,
inclusive, and transparent processes to reach out to all Tongass voices. The Roundtable
will work to create a positive dialogue and find shared solutions to meet the Roundtable’s
Purposes.
Recognizing that the governance of the Roundtable will evolve over time, this protocol is
intended to guide it through its early existence. The Roundtable will review the protocol
at its first meeting annually.
Goals
1. Support an agreement for bridge timber supply that allows a consensus
stakeholder process to proceed. Bridge timber supply is required from now until
the timber supply would come available under the plan revision (an estimated 24-
36 months). In the interim, the Forest Service will continue the scheduled
amendment process.
2. Reach consensus on specific recommendations to the TLMP Amendment. The
issues that these recommendations will address may include, but are not limited
to, the following:

· Recommend a stabilized land base

o Reach consensus on how to address ANCSA entitlements and other
potential draws on Tongass National Forest lands
o Reach consensus on which watersheds of the Tongass should be
conserved
o Reach consensus on which areas of the Tongass will allow timber
harvest

· Recommend a long-term stable supply of timber

o Assess feasibility of second growth timber
o Recommend ways for Congress and the administration to incentivise a
restoration economy

· Explore feasibility and methods to transition to second growth management
over the next 10-40 years

· Forest Service commits to recognize the comments and recommendations of
the Tongass Future Roundtable and meaningfully incorporate the
recommendations in the decision-making process

3. Recommend how to protect our SE Alaskan quality of life through the responsible
stewardship of cultural, economic and biological values

· Identify ways to celebrate and enrich cultures, protect values and strengthen
opportunities for healthy communities and vibrant economies

· Achieve this goal by engagement that gives voice to and empowers all
cultures and values.

· Achieve this goal by engagement that gives voice to and empowers local
communities.

4. Advocate for Southeast Alaska to have a robust, community-based diversified and
sustainable economy

· Look at systemic problems regionally and locally (energy, solid waste,
regulatory problems)

· Find a project or issue to work together on and see it through, such as

o Create a restoration project
o Create a climate for entrepreneurs
o Improve existing industry without impacting other users
o Maximize value-added resource
o Decrease reliance on government, increase private sector jobs

· Work toward a timber industry that has more continuity, sustainability and
reliability

“I recently read issue 2 of Seaside news — great publication!! Can you please put me on your email list?” MR

“Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your summary and efforts at pulling these news items all together-Thanks!” BS

“I was recently forwarded a copy of your June 15 newsletter designed for rural communities. I work for the State in the Division of Governmental Coordination and coordinate the state’s involvement in national park and national wildlife refuge issues. Some of the issues I deal with involve small gateway communities with emerging visitor growth. Some of the issues that Southeast communities are dealing with are similar. The networking and information exchange opportunities can be very valuable. I would appreciate being added to your mailing list. Thanks.” SG

“Thanks for all the interesting news. I’d like to be kept abreast of what is happening with recreation/tourism policy.” LB

“Thanks for the copy of SEASIDE NEWS (volume 2, Issue 2) thatI received recently. A good newsletter with good contacts and info. Keepup the good work.” NH

“Thanks so much for including me on your mailing list! Good job on the newsletter.” DK

“Thanks for the Seaside News. Lots of good stuff.” GS

“Greetings! I am a relatively new business development specialist with the Dept. of Community and Economic Development. L–R– also with our department just shared your newsletter with me. Will you please add me to your distribution list? I enjoyed the information and would like to receive future editions. Thanks!” SS

“Southeast Alaska is experiencing major changes in natural resource use. These changes impact rural communities economically, environmentally, socially, and culturally because of the importance these resources have in their daily lives. Residents face many challenges in the process of adapting to these changes.

Many communities, formerly heavily dependent upon the timber and fishing industries, have either died away or are struggling to shift to alternative sources of income. Adding value to products, an important tool for diversification in the region’s resource industries, is one of the approaches being taken to rebuild local, healthy economies.

Another form of natural resource use that has its own way of impacting the region is the tourism, or visitor, industry. Communities in Southeast Alaska, as elsewhere in the world, are turning to tourism as a panacea. Residents and non-residents are getting involved in the various forms of this industry, in a state known for “limited entry,”while they still can. This rush in the current economic boom is creating change more rapidly than ever before.

These changes, and many others, are happening whether communities are ready or not. When going through changes, information is a vital part of making careful decisions about the future. Many residents are not aware of available help. Geographic isolation of many SE villages, and in many cases, the “digital divide,” inhibits or slows change. Southeast residents need information about what is happening in other communities. They also need to know about what help is available, such as community action planning, funding, meeting facilitating, mediation, conflict resolution, and many other services.

Geographic and communications isolation also means that information about the needs in these communities does not make it back to the very agencies, public and private, that can provide the assistance the residents need.

This is where SEASIDE News comes in. SEASIDE is an acronym for “SouthEast Alaskans for a Stable, Independent, Diversified Economy.” Its mission is

“to encourage and assist in the building of a stable, independent, diversified economy based on moderate, conservative uses of the resources in Southeast Alaska.”

The goals of SEASIDE News are: 1) “Connecting People in Southeast Alaska” (its slogan), and 2) providing information that relates to the building of healthy, sustainable communities in the region.

The objectives are: 1) to provide information to residents of rural communities, and 2) to inform public and private agencies about the needs of rural communities.

The strategies to accomplish these goals and objectives are 1) providing information through a quarterly newsletter, and 2) setting up a web site.

Currently the newsletter is available via E-Mail and hard copy. Plans are being made to have a web site available where issues of the newsletter will be posted. I also plan to have links to referenced web sites and/or E-Mail addresses.

The intended benefits of the newsletter are a region made up of communities that are based on sustainable economies, rural residents that know who, what, where, when, and why about activities that may be important to them, and public and private agencies that have a more informed understanding of the needs of rural communities.

I created the SEASIDE name in the midst of planning for the Tongass Community Futures Conference that was held in Sitka April 3-5, 1998. The conference was planned by a diverse group of Alaskan organizations “to share information, discuss opportunities, and identify actions leading toward the sustainable use of natural resources and greater stability in the small communities of the Tongass National Forest.”

A broad range of issues were identified at the conference as being important to conference participants. Conference organizers, within their own organizations, have been doing what they can to meet participants’ needs. This past fall, two SEACC activities, important to participants, were brought to my attention. I realized that conference participants would be encouraged by learning what SEACC and other organizations were doing.

I decided that the time was right for “SouthEast Alaskans for a Stable, Independent, Diversified Economy” and the SEASIDE acronym. SEASIDE News would become the tool for providing a focal point for information about building sustainable communities in Southeast Alaska.”