The growth of creative regions: from Alexandria to Lvov and San Francisco

Abstract

Ever since the first public seat of learning was founded in antique Alexandria – famed for Euclid, Archimedes and Herophilos – inventors and innovators of diverse orientations have banded together at particular places around the globe. Today, the most prominent of them is the San Francisco Bay area. What make creative people cluster in those places? Numerous studies have shown that they are attracted primarily, not by any material benefits, but by the ambience of the place, where creativity has become a way of life, where inspiration is derived from a heterogeneous environment. In conclusion, the author draws up a psychological portrait of the creative class and considers its development prospects.