European inventory of
societal values of culture

CREATIVE CITIES

The term "creative cities" first appeared in the American and British context and is most often associated with authors such as Charles Landry and Richard Florida. At the same time, it is one of the concepts (in addition to creative industries, creative economy, creative centres, creative class...) that highlight creativity as a characteristic that decisively determines success (especially economic success) in the changed, post-industrial world.

So far, the concept of creative cities has been mostly tested in cases of the economic collapse of industrial cities in the USA, Australia and Europe. Experience has shown that industries in the fields of television, film, multimedia, music and publishing, as well as programs that encourage innovation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises in culture, can help regenerate deindustrialised cities where efficient structures of transport, telecommunications and social protection still exist.

Despite the differences among the proponents of the concept of "creative cities", the concept and practice of these cities share several common characteristics. These include treating people's talents (city software) as equally important, if not more important, than city hardware (city infrastructure, existing facilities and industry); the existence of creative industries in the city, which deal with - or produce new technologies; relying on the city's cultural resources (broadly understood as ranging from the arts to local culinary traditions); and the existence of cultural diversity in these cities and tolerance in relation to it.

Charles Landry's conception presented in numerous books and case studies – the most famous of which are The Creative City (1995), The Art of Regeneration: Urban Renewal Through Cultural Activity (1996), The Creative City: A Tool for Urban Innovators (2000), Using the power of culture for competitive advantage (2003) The art of city making (2006) – emphasises the creative use of cultural resources of cities in order to develop the urban economy, restore civic pride, strengthen social cohesion and raise the quality of life.

In his probably best-known book, The Creative City: A Tool for Urban Innovators, Landry states that "cultural resources are the raw material of the city and its value base; resources that replace coal, steel or gold. Creativity is a method to use these resources and to help them grow (...). The task of urban planners is to recognise, manage and use these resources responsibly. According to Landry, "every place has potential, even though it may not be obvious, especially to those who live there."

In Landri's conception, on the basis of this "raw material", cities should develop their own distinctive identity, based on existing local resources - the unique character of the place and the people who make it up - which would make them stand out from the sea of uniform cities, which process globalisation and corporate building styles reproduce all over the world. That particularity would make the city visible and - it is assumed - could attract representatives of the highly mobile "creative class", investors and tourists.

Florida's general description of the cities and regions that attract the members of the "creative class" bears resemblances to the desired outcome of the policy measures advocated by Landry. However, beyond vague calls upon decision-makers to invest in creativity and cultural amenities that can attract people predisposed to generate wealth in their cities, Florida does not really engage in policy discussions.

As an academic, in his initial two books on the subject (2002; 2004), he attempted to provide evidence for the hypothesis that there exists a relationship between the economic growth of a city and the structure of its population, as well as its general characteristics as a place. According to Florida, those cities that have a more significant proportion of workers engaged in creative occupations and the ability to harness "the multidimensional aspects of creativity" for economic ends will tend to prosper in the contemporary economy.

One of the main criticisms of the creative city concept is that it can lead to gentrification and exclusion. As property values and the cost of living increase, long-time residents may be forced out of their neighbourhoods. Additionally, there can be a lack of diversity and inclusivity in the creative industries and cultural spaces targeted by creative city policies, perpetuating existing inequalities and limiting opportunities for underrepresented groups. Furthermore, there is concern that the creative city approach can commodify culture, replacing authentic expressions with market-driven trends designed for tourist consumption. Some critics argue that the creative city approach focuses too heavily on superficial, aesthetic and physical changes rather than addressing underlying urban challenges that require broader social, economic, and structural changes. (MP, PC)