{"product_id":"the-cost-of-cool-austins-tech-growth-and-the-people-left-behind-paperback-softback-9781648433832","title":"The Cost of Cool; Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind (Paperback \/ softback) 9781648433832","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Cost of Cool\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eAustin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJon Roberts (Author), Tracye McDaniel (Contributions by), Elsie L. Echeverri-Carroll (Contributions by), Evan Johnston (Contributions by), Jennifer Todd-Goynes (Contributions by)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781648433832\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 12 March 2026\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e240 pages, 4 Figures\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.408 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"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 \u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Austin's transformation from Creative Class Boomtown to a city wrestling with inequality holds lessons for us all. \u003ci\u003eThe Cost of Cool\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Rise of the Creative Class\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"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\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Cost of Cool: Austin's Tech Growth and the People Left Behind\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEchoing 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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, and perhaps most importantly, \u003ci\u003eThe Cost of Cool\u003c\/i\u003e 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). \u003ci\u003eThe Cost of Cool\u003c\/i\u003e informs the ongoing debate over how to foster economic growth without degrading the quality-of-life characteristics that help make it possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Texas A\u0026#38;M University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52695469687064,"sku":"9781648433832","price":20.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-cost-of-cool-austins-tech-growth-and-the-people-left-behind-paperback-softback-9781648433832","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}