Richard Florida (born 1957 in Newark "Newark (New Jersey)") is an American expert on geography and economic growth.

He is currently a professor and director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.[1] He runs a private consulting company, the Creative Class Group.

The prof. Florida received his doctorate from Columbia University in 1986. Before joining the School of Public Policy at George Mason University where he spent two years, he taught at Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University from 1987 to 2005.

He is mainly known for his work in developing the concept of the creative class, and its ramifications in urban regeneration. This research was set forth in his bestsellers The Rise of the Creative Class, Cities and the Creative Class, and The Flight of the Creative Class. A new book, centered around urban renewal and the migration of talent, titled Who's Your City? (published in Spanish as Las Cidades Creativas), has recently been published.

Professor Florida's theories hold that metropolitan areas with high concentrations of high-tech workers, artists, musicians, lesbians and gays, and a group he describes as "high-end bohemians" are associated with a high level of economic development. Florida posits the theory that the creative class fosters an open and dynamic personal and professional environment. This environment, in turn, attracts more creative people, as well as businesses and capital. It suggests that attracting and retaining high-quality talent, versus focusing solely on infrastructure projects such as sports stadiums, iconic buildings and shopping centres, would be a prime leverage of a city's regeneration resources for its long-term prosperity.

It has designed its own ranking system that values ​​cities through a "Bohemian Index," a "Gay Index," a "Diversity Index" and similar criteria.

Florida's early work focused on industrial innovation, including continuous improvement systems introduced by automobile companies such as Toyota.