It would be an understatement to say that my book The Rise of the Creative Class has generated heated debate. With the national culture wars escalating on all fronts, it’s not surprising that most of the controversy revolves around the idea that cities with thriving arts and cultural climates and an openness to diversity of all sorts also enjoy higher rates of innovation and highwage economic growth. From the right, consider what Steven Malanga of the neo-conservative Manhattan Institute has to say: