The creative class is the new urbanite, a youthful and affluent demographic split into two groups: the Super Creative Core and the Creative Professionals. The Super Creatives are a broad range of consumers composed of scientists, professors, poets, novelists, artists, entertainers, designers and think-tank researchers. Creative professionals are those working in high tech sectors as health care professionals or business managers. In either case, the emerging workforce is a highly educated, economically affluent consumer base. 

Changes in the diversifying marketplace are a reflection of this groups growing economic influence and purchasing power. Goods and service providers have redirected their focus, catering specifically to the needs and desires of the emerging consumer base and their lifestyle choices. City leaders strongly support this growing trend and have dedicated downtown districts and streets to these specific uses.

According to Richard Florida, creative individuals will choose a city based on lifestyle options and social amenities. This has resulted in revitalization efforts leaning heavily towards fostering of unique entertainment experience such as live music, art galleries, cafes and urban beautification. The creative worker demands trendy locales that offer aesthetic experiences, facilitates a social lifestyle and serves to entertain.

Owners invested in the service industry should understand this trend and seek out innovative ways to create an environment that embraces creativity and those people willing to purchase it. A popular option facilitating open social experiences are ‘pop-up’ patios. Business owners in restaurants, cafes and nightclubs have been finding new ways to expand their interior space by growing outwards to their exterior. Whether in a defunct auto shop parking lot or retrofitted back alley, the ‘pop-up’ patio is quickly gaining popularity, in some places, city leaders have fought to  include this into their official planning policies.

Offering a space that facilitates unique consumer experiences, both inside and out, is a logical starting point for success in the creative city. In order to remain relevant, business owners need to assess the possibility of outdoor expansion and its benefits.