Migration, Mobility and the Creative Class

Ellen Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Digital Business, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol, Don J. Webber, Sheffield University Management School, The University of Sheffield and Glenn Parry, Professor of Digital Transformation, Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, UK

• Contents:1 Introduction to Migration, Mobility and the Creative Class2 Fascination with and the need to attract the creative class3 Context matters: design and demographics4 The Baby Boomers5 Generation X6 The Millennials7 Conclusion to Migration, Mobility and the Creative ClassBibliographyIndex

‘For over one hundred years, successive governments in the UK and elsewhere have explored and experimented with new approaches to regional policy. Richard Florida’s advocacy on behalf of the role of the creative class provides one well known contribution; however, it has not been subjected to rigorous empirical evaluation. This book provides an important contribution with its focus on the role of migration and especially on the role of repeat or what the authors term Yo-Yo migration. This insightful text suggests that place creation and identity may be continually changing through a complex supply-demand dynamic within and across a multi-level structure of large metropolitan areas. A strong contribution of this text is the bringing to light of the role of family structure and associated support networks that have conditioned and facilitated the movement of the creative class. The findings suggest strong linkages to recent initiatives associated with smart specialization strategy and, more broadly, a need to focus less on individuals and more on the broader socio-economic system in which we all operate. This timely book should encourage more research on the importance of family ties in shaping migration patterns and regional socioeconomic development.’