New Money, Nice Town: How Capital Works in the New Urban Economy

The last dozen years has seen the blossoming in America of a new type of city - the "quality of life city." Small to mid-sized cities like Boulder, Santa Barbara, Portland, Austin, and many others feature progressive politics and strict environmental regulations, yet have been very successful in attracting the investment and firms associated with the "new economy." For a variety of reasons, rapidly growing and innovative sectors like software, entertainment, and tourism all see this type of city as an ideal place to locate. InNew Money, NiceTown, Leonard Nevarez investigates three archetypal "lifestyle" cities on the Southern California coastline that have been successful in attracting such firms. He shows that a new urban political economy and social life is emerging, with major ramifications for the shape of corporate power and local politics in contemporary America. The ways corporations locate and intervene in cities has changed in important ways, revealing a new dependence on placesthat offers both progressive possibilities and new sources of urban insecurity.New Money, Nice Townwill be valuable for anyone concerned about the far-reaching social and political impact of a "new economy" based on knowledge production and amenity consumption.

Leonard Nevarez is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Vassar College