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The Cost of Cool
Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind
Jon Roberts (Author), Tracye McDaniel (Contributions by), Elsie L. Echeverri-Carroll (Contributions by), Evan Johnston (Contributions by), Jennifer Todd-Goynes (Contributions by)
9781648433832
Paperback / softback, published 12 March 2026
240 pages, 4 Figures
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.408 kg
"A lucid, unsentimental audit. Roberts and his co-authors show how Austin rose on greenery and weirdness, on networks rather than abatements. The city prospered as tech incubators spawned serial entrepreneurs, but it lost its "cosmic cowboy" cool along the way. Roberts argues, with elegance and restraint, for a return to place."—J.M. Ledgard novelist and former correspondent The Economist "Austin's transformation from Creative Class Boomtown to a city wrestling with inequality holds lessons for us all. The Cost of Cool reminds us that innovation and growth alone aren't enough—cities must pair them with inclusivity, affordability, and a true sense of community."—Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class "An ambitious, thought-provoking and long overdue look at the city we built, the city we lost, and the city we're still trying to become—Old Austin hanging on, New Austin accelerating, and tech reshaping everything in between."—Andy Langer, Senior Director, Live Music and Entertainment, The University of Texas at Austin
The city of Austin consistently leads lists of fastest-growing and most-desirable places to live—a simultaneous source of pride and anxiety for residents. In The Cost of Cool: Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind, author Jon Roberts and his contributors investigate Austin's evolving identity and tackle a question posed repeatedly by community and business leaders nationally: How did Austin, Texas, become a global tech leader? More broadly, this book focuses on economic development and policy dilemmas faced by growing cities while maintaining both social equity and the elusive qualities of "place" that attract creative and innovative talent. Echoing themes raised by other urbanist scholars, Roberts and his collaborators do not shy away from the sometimes-unsavory aspects of tax incentives, environmental issues, cultural loss, and economic exclusion. While tackling the problems raised by unbridled growth, they also address concerns of younger workers who are increasingly prioritizing "place" over "job." Finally, and perhaps most importantly, The Cost of Cool emphasizes the centrality of vision: for growth (as Austin's population doubles every twenty years); for openness (often driven by the influence of the South by Southwest conference and Austin's music scene); and for the future of the tech industry (including the implications of forty years of commitment to semiconductors, software, and social media). The Cost of Cool informs the ongoing debate over how to foster economic growth without degrading the quality-of-life characteristics that help make it possible.