Motoring across the United States isn’t what it used to be. My first few crossings four decades ago, while still being educated, were marked by tall cups of java and an incessant sprint for the horizon. On my just-completed trip, the pace was slower, the stops more selective and the itinerary much more serpentine.
After 4,100 miles, 20 nights and 14 cities, a surprising picture of urban America comes to light. What stands out is not the continued predominance of the old cultural settlements of East Coast elites but the ever-brighter lights of major metropolises across the southern tier of the country; the tiny sparkle of urban gems on the smaller end of the population spectrum; and ancient Western desert towns thriving with innovative art and architecture.
Above all, the motor survey brings a renewed appreciation for the unpredictable nature of innovation and change in cities, equal parts old-fashioned creativity and new-fashioned smartness. And it suggests that, contrary to some current theories, when you’re looking for urban creativity size doesn’t matter that much.
Let’s start with the bright lights, which surprise us in the extent to which innovation builds on and deepens their distinct cultural identities.
Atlanta, Nashville, and Las Vegas — metropolitan
Article source: http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-road-trip-across-america-innovation-creativity-cities-large-small.html If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com
