Overview

The city of Austin consistently leads lists of fastest-growing and most-desirable places to live—a simultaneous source of pride and anxiety for residents. In The Cost of Cool: Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind, author Jon Roberts and his contributors investigate Austin's evolving identity and tackle a question posed repeatedly by community and business leaders nationally: How did Austin, Texas, become a global tech leader? More broadly, this book focuses on economic development and policy dilemmas faced by growing cities while maintaining both social equity and the elusive qualities of ""place"" that attract creative and innovative talent. Echoing themes raised by other urbanist scholars, Roberts and his collaborators do not shy away from the sometimes-unsavory aspects of tax incentives, environmental issues, cultural loss, and economic exclusion. While tackling the problems raised by unbridled growth, they also address concerns of younger workers who are increasingly prioritizing ""place"" over ""job."" Finally, and perhaps most importantly, The Cost of Cool emphasizes the centrality of vision: for growth (as Austin's population doubles every twenty years); for openness (often driven by the influence of the South by Southwest conference and Austin's music scene); and for the future of the tech industry (including the implications of forty years of commitment to semiconductors, software, and social media). The Cost of Cool informs the ongoing debate over how to foster economic growth without degrading the quality-of-life characteristics that help make it possible.

Full Product Details

9781648433832

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A lucid, unsentimental audit. Roberts and his co-authors show how Austin rose on greenery and weirdness, on networks rather than abatements. The city prospered as tech incubators spawned serial entrepreneurs, but it lost its ""cosmic cowboy"" cool along the way. Roberts argues, with elegance and restraint, for a return to place.""--J.M. Ledgard novelist and former correspondent The Economist --J.M. Ledgard ""An ambitious, thought-provoking and long overdue look at the city we built, the city we lost, and the city we're still trying to become--Old Austin hanging on, New Austin accelerating, and tech reshaping everything in between.""--Andy Langer, Senior Director, Live Music and Entertainment, The University of Texas at Austin --Andy Langer ""Austin's transformation from Creative Class Boomtown to a city wrestling with inequality holds lessons for us all. The Cost of Cool reminds us that innovation and growth alone aren't enough--cities must pair them with inclusivity, affordability, and a true sense of community.""--Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class --Richard Florida

Author Information

Jon Roberts is the managing partner at TIP Strategies Inc., an Austin-based economic development and workforce consulting firm. Before joining TIP, Jon held senior positions in economic development for the states of Washington and Texas, and he was vice-president of an Oregon venture capital firm. Born and raised in Germany, Jon now resides in Austin and spends his summers in Bend, Oregon.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available