If you worry that Kannapolis' best and brightest leave town forever after heading to college, this week's Youth Town Hall might have put your mind at ease. More than 100 high school students showed up to learn what the city's new biotechnology center could mean for them. Between their interest and the N.C. Research Campus' need for workers, the future looks bright. Kannapolis will have jobs for skilled, technical and professional workers. Local graduates will have plenty of reasons to come back here to live.

Kannapolis could become a case study for a sequel to Richard Florida's book, "The Rise of the Creative Class." An expert on regional economic development, Florida suggests communities seeking growth develop "a world-class people climate" if they want a better, more creative business climate. "Instead of subsidizing companies, stadiums and retail centers, communities need to be open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities people really want," Florida says.

People in the Creative Class want authenticity — old downtown buildings, real neighborhoods and a sense of place, he says. They want recreational options and cultural opportunities. Instead of "build it and they will come," Florida seems to suggest that if cities attract the right people, the buildings (and businesses) will come.

Kannapolis is in a unique position. David Murdock has virtually wiped the slate clean and is drawing up a new city, with technology as its core industry. But Kannapolis can be more authentic than, for instance, the Research Triangle Park. The city has a definite downtown and plenty of residential neighborhoods, where RTP started from scratch. The slate still has remnants of the old Kannapolis.

Let's hope some of our own young people will return after college to work and add to the authenticity that makes Kannapolis unique. They have a lot to offer the city. According to Florida, today's generation of young workers are ambitious and hard-working. The places most likely to attract them and other creative people have what he calls "the three t's" — technology, talent and tolerance. We know we'll have technology; we believe it will attract plenty of talent. And we will welcome — not just tolerate — the newcomers and natives who make it all happen.