The role of talent and creativity in economic development has been a subject of growing interest to social scientists. Future economic growth lies not only in attracting creative thinking to Toronto, but also in translating this advantage into new ideas, high-tech business and regional growth. As awardwinning author Richard Florida writes, Toronto is one of only a handful of cities in the world that sit on the front burner of this rise of the creative class. Photo: Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail toronto | 2008 47