The Bohemian-Gay Index

"The second and much larger factor is reflected by our Bohemian-Gay Index, which combines the concentration of artists, musicians and designers with the concentration of gays and lesbians in a region. Regardless of which variables we applied, what version of the model we used, or which regions we looked at, the concentration of bohemians and gays consistently had a substantial correlation with housing values." (pg. 142)

Richard is referring to factors that shape housing values. This bold statement is one that has created the most controversy and has also helped Richard Florida to become the phenomenon he is today. Although Richard has statistical data to prove this, the reasoning behind this theory makes sense. It seems obvious that artists, musicians, designers, gays, and lesbians would want to live in a nonjudgemental community that value open mindedness and self-expression. Are these not qualities that the general public value as well? The lack of cultural barriers and prejudice attract a large number of people of different racial and social backgrounds thus increasing the housing values in the area. I do not feel as though Richard is encouraging people to look for the largest cluster of gays and lesbians when considering where you should move, but rather that each city is different and unique in its own way and that you should consider all of the different aspects of a place before making your final decision of where you would like to live.