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Is there creative life further than the big cities?

Is there creative life further than the big cities?. Challenges for Medium-sized and Small Cities in a Globalised Economy. Joan Ganau Universitat de Lleida (Spain) UNESCO Chair on “Intermediate cities, urbanization and development”. IGU Urban Commission Meeting

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Is there creative life further than the big cities?

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  1. Is there creative life further than the big cities? Challenges for Medium-sized and Small Cities in a Globalised Economy Joan Ganau Universitat de Lleida (Spain) UNESCO Chair on “Intermediate cities, urbanization and development” IGU Urban Commission Meeting Canterbury, 15th August 2011

  2. Is there creative life further than the big cities? • Geography matters. Cities, regions and the creative economy: spiky of flat world? • What opportunities and challenges for intermediate cities? • Final reflexions

  3. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? 1. World Population R. Florida (2008)

  4. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? 2. Economic activity R. Florida (2008)

  5. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? 3. Innovation R. Florida (2008)

  6. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? a) Spike US R. Florida (2008)

  7. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? b) Spiky China R. Florida (2008)

  8. 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? c) Spiky Europe R. Florida (2008)

  9. Is there only a peak-valleys question? What future for these “valleys”? 1. From a flat world to a spiky world? d) Metropolitan regions in Europe ? ? ? 12 metropolitan regions ? ? $5.000 billion ? ? 260 million of people ? ? R. Florida (2008)

  10. 2. Intermediate cities: opportunities and challenges • The comparative advantages of large cities • More diversity of job opportunities • Cultural scale economies • Milieu creative and innovation. • Business climate • Capitalism principle: big is better

  11. 2. Intermediate cities: opportunities and challenges • Why small and medium-sized cities? • Intermediate cities as a concept • Increasing international interest in the future of these cities • Reactions to the changes of different cities: • What about me? • Me too! • Why me not?

  12. 2. Intermediate cities: opportunities and challenges • Factors influencing the potential of intermediate cities • Population size. • Difference with Industrial Revolution: in the informational economy, there is not population growth of small cities • Contradiction between European guidelines about polycentric spatial structure and realities of global cities • City functions and territories (size, dynamism…) • Economic background (industry…) • Location in relation with large metropolitan areas (distance and accessibility) • Availability of services

  13. 2. Intermediate cities: opportunities and challenges Location in relation with large metropolitan areas K. Kunzmann (2009)

  14. 2. Intermediate cities: opportunities and challenges • Weakness • Less dynamism • Lack of opportunities for qualified jobs • Difficulties to attract and retain “talent” • No economies of agglomeration • Strengths • Housing prices • More possibility of social cohesion • Richer “social capital” • No formal social relation networks (more dense and fluid) • Quality of life and sustainability • Place Identity, sense of community • Opportunities • Increasing “metropolisation” (changes in communications…) • Profit the cultural capital, heritage and existing traditions • Planning strategies and involvement of city society • Changing old dynamics from existing traditions • Networking with other cities to collaborate and generate economies of scale • Universities, colleges… as important part to creating and attracting talent

  15. 3. Final reflexions • Changing the scope, the focus of the lens. We need new spectacles to watch different realities… • Problems of scale analysis: new items, indexes… • Competition /vs collaboration between towns. Create networks of cities • Creativity is not a zero sum game. • Education as a key factor. Creativity is a renewable resource. It is possible to “create creative people” • Pay more attention to young people (there are the future innovation-creativity)

  16. 3. Final reflexions • Public cultural policies to improve regional development: • Culture and social aims: social cohesion, quality of life, multicutural communities… • Culture as production /vs consumption (cultural and creative industries…) • Tourism and creativity? A sustainable pattern of development growth) • Cultural industries: return of industrial activity within towns • Geography matters… size matters too!

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