Richard Florida on the Alarming Trends of Urbanization and Its Socio-Economic Consequences (Notes on the American Experience for Russia)

The negative trends in the development of modern cities, identified by the famous American urbanist and author of the concept of the creative class, Richard Florida, remain relevant and necessitate a comprehensive analysis of the crises caused by rapid urbanization and the accompanying socio-economic transformations of society. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a number of alarming processes: an increasing number of employees of high-tech companies have switched to remote work, the importance of innovation activity centers has been decreasing not only specialists, but also the headquarters of IT giants have been leaving Silicon Valley. The outflow of affluent middle class segments and the relocation of offices have affected New York. These trends force us to rethink the methodology and goals of strategic planning in the Russian Federation, in particular, to analyze the adequacy of Moscow's urban planning policy and territorial planning focused on the development of large urban agglomerations in Russia. They also raise the question of the need to preserve the positive legacy of Soviet urban planning practice as implemented in Moscow, which has been highly appreciated by a well-known American specialist.

Richard Florida, urban studies, city economics, creative economy, crisis and socio-political risks of modern socio-economic development, strategic planning