Creative Class in Dayton

Jeff over at Daytonology has a pretty good post about the Creative Class in Dayton, including maps of where the majority of "creative class" types supposedly live in the region.  I'm not surprised to find that while the expected neighborhoods of OD, South Park, McPherson Town and Grafton Hill ranked high, so did several suburban areas.  The Dayton region is very divided in terms of suburban and urban, with so many younger people who unfortunately have very little connection to the inner city.  Thus, there are many young creative types that continue to live in the burbs.  I also have to wonder if Dayton neighborhoods would rank even higher were it not for the fact that so many of the so-called "creative-class" people simply leave this region altogether for cities like Chicago, Boston, NY, SF, etc. 

Because of Richard Florida's broad definition of who actually belongs to the Creative Class - basically ANYBODY who works a job in which they use their mind to create or does creative things outside of work - I'm not sure it is meaningful to actually try to map out where they all live.  And as Jeff points out, the census statistics he compiled do not take into account all of those creative people who work menial "non-creative" jobs to simply survive while pursuing truly artistic endeavors (such as every single struggling musician I've ever known).

As many of you have read in a recent DDN article, a local task force is working on bringing Richard Florida's "Creative Class Group" to Dayton to help our city figure out how to capitalize on our own creative class.  I happen to personally know one of the people behind this effort - Theresa Gasper, somebody I like and respect very much for her passion for improving Dayton. Though many people are denouncing the idea as another wasteful attempt at bringing outsiders in to show us how to be a good city (which would be ridiculous if that were in fact what the consulting group actually did), this consulting group is instead going to use tried and tested practices to help our city determine our strengths so that we ourselves can develop strategies that will help our city reach its potential (click here to see their impressive client list).  As a consultant myself, I understand the very legitimate need to sometimes bring outsiders into an organization to help it with things as specific as implementing a new system or as broad as changing its culture.  These kinds of things are very often impossible to attain from within.  And let's face it, most Daytonians seem to have no idea how great a city they actually have here - maybe having some outsiders spell it out isn't a bad idea.

But there are a few things I hope happen with this effort... 

• First, this CANNOT simply be another committee made up of the typical city, region, business and organizational leaders.  Sure, some of those folks will need to be involved for the simple fact that they are the ones that can provide funding and help remove barriers.  But even more important is getting other types of people involved with the process - such as artists from the Dayton Circus Creative Collective and other independent artists, musicians, owners of the independent music and art venues, and people from the smaller theater groups in the city.  It is these people who ARE the existing creative class and are thus experts on what it takes to attract others like them.  As Jeff quoted on his blog - "Any metropolitan region pursuing a creative economy strategy in earnest should engage local artists in devising the best ways to encourage the social and cultural interaction that engender creative milieus".  Based on what I've read, this is in fact the goal for the group so perhaps this is of less concern.  Just remember that Dayton already DOES have a creative class so we aren't looking to bring a new creative class here - just expand on the one we have and empower them to help change this city for the better.
• Apparently the Dayton Development Coalition is also behind this effort.  As they are focused on WPAFB and related technology companies moving to and staying in the region, I don't believe they are as focused on the inner city per se.  But it is the inner city that is the attraction to any REAL creative class effort, despite Jeff's analysis.  Young creative types might grow up in places like Beavercreek, but if they are indeed part of the "creative class" that is the focus here, they are much more likely to flee the region for bigger cities than stay in Beavercreek.  That is, of course, unless we can convince them that Dayton offers the same urban potential as those bigger cities without the expense.  The effort HAS to be about the urban core of Dayton.  And for God's sake, please don't mention The Greene as something to attract the creative class - otherwise you just don't get it.
• And finally, I realize that you can only involve so many people in a project like this before it gets to be unmanageable.  But make use of technologies like the Internet to communicate the group's progress to everybody.  Open source forums and blogs (just like this one) are much better ways to promote than the traditional media.  Sure, give the newspaper occassional updates and interviews, but put the daily stuff on the web.  You'll have a much better chance at reaching your target audience as well as, well - the entire world!  Use newsletter email sign-ups and open it up for EVERYBODY to join the conversation - even the annoying squelchers.  This is how the creative class communicates today, and it is making traditional media more and more irrelevant every day.

I do hope the task force is able to raise enough money to get this started, because I think it is important and has the potential to have a great impact.  And kudos to Theresa - she is definitely a new brand of mover-and-shaker in this town - one that actually get things done rather than simply talk about it.  Keep up the great work, and keep us posted!

Our previous entry about Richard Florida and the Creative Class

Comments

[Kate E]

Billy, thanks for the mention of the Circus Creative Collective (www.daytoncircus.org). I’m excited about the notion of having a regional dialogue on creativity, and I hope that this includes a strong representation of the creative people that are already here and actively participating in creating authentic local culture. The Circus is a great group to start with; I could recommend a few names. I especially hope that the young, people of color, and lower-income folks have a voice in this matter. As a city planner and vice-chair of the Circus board, I’m constantly amazed by the disconnect I see between young creative people and the traditional power structure of the region. If this group could help to bridge that, it would be a wonderful thing.

[Kate E]

Also, if anyone would like to learn more about the Circus, our open monthly meeting is this Saturday (11/17) from 1-3 at Front St Studios, 1001 E 2nd St, Studio 3465. Here are directions: E on 3rd, L on Dutoit. Park in lot to the back left (NW) of the complex. Enter through doors marked B-C and take elevators or stairs to the 3rd floor. 3465 is several doors down on the left.

It should be a fun meeting--we just got an anonymous donation for projects up to $10K and we're going to discuss how we'd like to use it.

[Theresa Gasper]

Sorry for the delay in replying but I've been out of town - and re-reading the Rise of the Creative Class to refresh my memory. Thanks Bill for the plug and the kind words.

Let me try to clear up a few misconceptions. I know the single most verbalized concern is the one Bill mentioned - here we go again bringing in an outsider. I cannot stress enough that the ideas that come from the process will come from people living in the Dayton Region. Florida's group provides the process and the research data - we decide what we want to do with it.

Yes, we have the Dayton Development Coalition's "blessing" but they are not driving this bus. Given they are working on a major branding effort, we wanted to be sure that our efforts were synergistic and not competing against nor duplicating their efforts.

Essentially the process is this - we are continuing our fund raising efforts but my husband, Dave, and I are so passionate about this effort that we have kicked in a sizeable amount to get the ball rolling.

On November 27th, WYSO will be doing a re-broadcast and consolidated 1 hour version of Richard Florida's speech at WSU here last March.

In January, we plan to do a kick off event announcing the official go ahead. At that time, Richard Florida and his group will begin compiling the in depth, up to the moment data we'll need and we'll begin accepting applications for the 30 key catalysts. Work should begin in earnest in March of 2008.

These 30 key catalysts will be people from a very diversified group and not the same ole, same ole. It is essential that we represent as many walks of life as possible to gain the greater perspective of our region.

These key catalysts will essentially be the liaison between the community and Florida's group. They will do the lion's share of the work, which requires a strong & firm commitment of at least a year. These people will engage as many from the community that want to be involved.

We anticipate 3-6 initiatives will come from the work of all involved. What those initiatives will be remains to be seen.

Yes, the arts have been represented so far, but who is currently on the task force is irrelevant. Just because we're on the task force doesn't mean we'll be one of the key catalysts. And, quite honestly, I really don't know who will be going through the applications and selecting the 30 catalysts.

Our primary initial focus is raising the funding to make the rest of this happen. If you have any interest in being kept in the loop, please contact sean.creighton@soche.org

I hope this clears things up a bit. It's obvious from the many people I've spoken with since the article appeared, that there is a lot of confusion.

[Papa Ubu]

Circus kids may be part of the "new urban creative class", but Dayton needs old urban creative class-types such as John Patterson, the Wright brothers, and Charles Kettering. Talk about a creative class!

[Bill Pote]

The Wright Brothers, Patterson, Kettering and others were great innovators and leaders in their time. And while we should continue to honor their memories and accomplishments, we need to quit living in the past and start looking to the future.

It is very possible that we have the next Patterson, Kettering or Wright Brothers here now and waiting for the opportunity to make an impact. We should be focusing on removing the barriers that are holding these young people back rather than continue to sit around and wish it was the early 1900's still.

[metromark]

I know this is history (Sorry, Bill, I just can't help using it as a tool!), but look at the life of Edward Deeds. Who was he? What made him important to our town in the early to mid-20th century?

He started out at NCR as John Patterson's right-hand man and hired Charles Kettering to manage the company's inventions department; moved on with Kettering to help create DELCO (Dayton Electronic Laboratories Company), which first produced the electric self-starter for the Cadillac; he became a colonel in the US Army during World War I in charge of a committee that mobilized and managed the aviation resources of the war effort; co-founder of the Dayton Wright Airplane Company, which mass produced the De Haviland bomber in this country during the war; instrumental in ensuring that the aviation research and development going on at McCook Field continued on at the newly formed Wright Field, the predecessor of present day Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; became president of NCR in the 1930s and was Joe Desch's boss during World War II when he developed the Bombe machine for decoding German and Japanese codes in Building 26; and he donated the land for present-day Carillon Historical Park, which continues to preserve and tell the story of Dayton's rich history. I've left a lot out, but you get the picture of who he was. Now, what made him important to our town in the early to mid-20th century?

He wasn't an inventor or an artist; but he was definitely a part of Dayton's creative class. He saw the potential of a person, an invention, or an idea and was able to promote the possibilities for the benefit of the community. For example, he was the founder of the "Barn Gang," a group of engineers and scientists who met in Deeds' barn on Central Avenue in Grafton Hill to exchange ideas on how to exploit the potential of the automobile. Kettering's electric self-starter was a product of this effort. City Hall had nothing to do with it. They were young creative idealists turned loose to discover the possibilities of their age. Deeds encouraged this and exploited their ideas for the benefit of the world in general and the Dayton community in particular. The byproduct was the complex of factories called DELCO which employed hundreds of workers in this town. It was also the start of the Engineers Club.

I don't think I'm wrong in saying that Deeds was the father of Wright-Patterson AFB. He was the head of the Aircraft Production Board during WWI and was the driving force in the establishment of McCook Field north of downtown Dayton as the only research and development arm of the US government devoted to aviation. When McCook was to be shut down after WWI and moved out of Dayton, Deeds was instrumental informing a committee (led by Fred Patterson) that galvanized the Dayton business community to raise $400,000 in two days, buy the farm land surrounding Huffman Prairie northeast of Dayton, and offer it to the government for $1.00 just so long as that complex stayed in Dayton. That community commitment, led by Deeds, kept aviation R&D in Dayton at Wright Field, expanded Patterson Field, and led eventually to present day Wright-Patterson AFB. Again, he saw the creative potential of this scientific complex and moved to keep it here.

The lesson, I think, is what Bill Pote has been saying all along. Use Richard Florida's organization to identify the creative forces in this town and set them loose. Also, identify the obstacles that inhibit these forces and remove them. Don't rely upon City Hall to come up with ideas; they should be encouraging them and assisting, but that's all. Some of the creative forces I've noticed are contributors to this blog. Others have the know how and the resources to make ideas and dreams a reality. Think South Park (Theresa Gasper); think Arcade (Bob Schiffler). There are others, just like Edward Deeds.

[Bill Pote]

Thanks Mark - you are somebody that does get it. There are many people like those that you mentioned that are getting things done. Imagine if all of those true movers&shakers got together to figure out how to really grow this town. As for local government, they need to embrace those people that are making it happen in this town and give them what they need.