Richard Florida became a superstar in the world of urban planning and the arts a few years back when he wrote The Rise of the Creative Class, which claimed that creative types, artists, and free thinkers, were the essential component of a successful and thriving metropolis. But several urban planning experts have since questioned the validity of Florida’s thesis, calling it overly simplistic and a naked appeal to the type of people who could (and did) make Florida and his theory famous. Still, there’s no question that creativity and arts do offer at least some benefit to cities, so the question now seems to be, “What are the benefits the creative sector can deliver for cities, and what are the pitfalls of catering to it?”