A bold blueprint for how cities, work, and everyday life must transform to rebuild long-term prosperity after economic collapse.

From Richard Florida, author of the bestselling books The Rise of the Creative Class and Who’s Your City?, comes a book that frames the economic meltdown of 2008–09 not as a crisis but as an opportunity to “reset.”

In doing so, he paints a fascinating picture of what our economy, society, and geography will look like—of how we will work and live—in the future.

Drawing on history, Florida traces how earlier crises—the Long Depression and the Great Depression—sparked new systems of infrastructure and new economic landscapes. Looking beyond short-term bailouts, the book examines why dense megaregions and talent hubs are poised to lead renewed growth while sprawling suburban developments falter.

• Economic Conditions: Contrasts the resilience of diversified centers like Washington, D.C. and Toronto against the steep collapse of debt-fueled real estate markets in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
• Urban Development: Outlines the economic necessity of high-speed rail networks to shrink travel times and integrate industrial centers across emerging megaregions.
• Public Policy: Proposes overhauling housing finance to encourage flexible rental communities while shifting transit priorities toward mass transit and congestion pricing.
• Macroeconomics: Explores how upgrading lower-wage service jobs into sources of continuous innovation and higher compensation can power a sustainable consumer recovery.
• Also by This Author: The Flight of the Creative Class.