Transcript Creative city policy: bridging the gap with theory.

creative city challenge
Arie Romein
Jan Jacob Trip
Creative city policy:
bridging the gap with theory
Delft University of Technology
OTB Research Institute for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies
[email protected]
Contents
 The creative city thesis

Objective
 Three step approach
- step 1: Framework of analysis
- step 2: Operationalisation and SWOT analysis
- step 3: Identification of policy options
 Policy-making and implementation
 Concluding observations
 Discussion
2
Creative city thesis
Creative city thesis establishes relationships between
human creativity and economic growth – in particular
growth based on creativity
Creativity as link between knowledge, design, ‘symbolic
values’, and – ultimately – innovation in production of
goods and services
3
Creative city thesis
Very popular and influential among
scholars and local policy makers
However:
 thesis is container of rather
diverse approaches, visions and
ideas
 link with practice weak and often
implicit
Policies often incoherent and
 ad
hoc
4
Creative city thesis
Different approaches
Production milieu for creative (cultural) industries
 Scott, Kloosterman, Currid

proximity; diversity; networked clusters of social;
economic relations
Consumption milieu for creative talent
 Florida, Clark
 Quality of Place; diversity; authenticity; ‘jobs follow
people’
5
Creative city thesis
The thesis in practice: examples of creative city policies






economic: stimulate 'creative' business start-ups
spatial: development of 'creative' neighbourhoods
spatial-economic: incubator buildings
networking: temporary events linked to creative
industry (‘Fashion weeks’)
culture: venues & events focused at creative talent
city marketing: ‘creative city’ campaigns
6
Objective
To develop an elaborated operational approach
for local policy practice built on conceptual
insights
7
Three step approach
Development of an operational creative city approach
involves three steps:
1. Framework of analysis: factors of creative production
and consumption milieu; urban ‘narrative’
2. Operationalisation and SWOT analysis
3. Confrontation matrix: identification of policy options
8
production
consumption
people
type of creative professionals
attitude to start-up business
ability to plug into networks
spatial/physical
quality
clusters / incubators
household amenities
market of office space
housing market
built environment
functional diversity
social quality
diverse labour pool
networks
symbolic quality
membership of ‘scenes’
attitude to theatricality…
…authenticity, legitimacy
liveliness
diversity of jobs
nightlife
'narrative' of an area
creative image
9
Step 2: Operationalisation
 Translation of factors from framework of analysis
into set of quantitative and qualitative indicators
 Data collection
- quantitative: statistics
- qualitative: local expert knowledge, policy
documents
 SWOT analysis
- assessment of factors as Strength or Weakness
- identification of Opportunities and Threats
Based on broader reference framework
 Four ‘lists’ of S, W, O, T
10
Step 3: Identification of policy options
Confrontation matrix (based on Kearns, 1992)
11
Policy-making and implementation
Putting selected policy options into the practice of
policy-making and implementation is subjective to
institutional constraints (based on Vermeijden, 2001):
 Normative core: attitude relative to prevailing
policy philosophy (e.g. entrepreneurial city) and
governance arrangements (multi-actor)
 Policy core: existing framework of local policies
 Secondary aspects: national and EU policies; legal
and financial frameworks; electoral cycle
12
Concluding observations
Development of an operational creative city
approach is guided by three principles:
1. The creative city is taken as a whole rather than
as separate production and consumption milieus
2. The policy is integrative (i.e. business- and
people-oriented; all relevant policy fields) rather
than sectoral
3. Policy builds ‘organically’ on what is already
there rather than on a tabula rasa, or on
duplication of best practices
13
Discussion
The creative economy is no nine day’s wonder;
but what is the long-term potential of creative
city policy?

Does the creative city fit in with – or
contribute to – the concept of sustainable
urban development?

Will the creative city thesis become part of
the normative core of urban policy?
Thank you for your attention!
[email protected]
[email protected]
For more information on the
Creative City Challenge project:
www.creative-city-challenge.net