An urbanist’s swank new home

Maybe you’ve never heard of Richard Florida, but he’s one of the most influential urban thinkers of the past few years. He’s the guy who championed the idea of the “creative class” (including concepts like the “gay index” and the “bohemian index“) as driving municipal economies, for example.

And now he lives in Toronto.

But what kind of a home does a noted urbanist move into? That, my friend, is news. The Globe and Mail is there:

The designated heritage property has a turret and leaded windows, mouldings and ceiling medallions – the sort of ornate details that Florida is usually loath to embrace.

“I kept asking myself, ‘Why do I like this house?’ It’s more traditional and classical than anything I normally like,” says the scholar.

“But then I met the architect [who executed the renovation], and learned of his leaning towards modernism,” continues Mr. Florida. “Suddenly I noticed all the symmetries and the graceful proportions, and realized that it wasn’t a traditional house at all, that it was all done with a modern orientation, which, of course, is what makes it feel so fresh.”

There’s a six-photo gallery here.