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Barcelona: A Creative City?

Explore the urban profile and cultural regeneration of Barcelona, its history, geography, and policies. Discover the phases of cultural development and the challenges ahead in this vibrant city.

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Barcelona: A Creative City?

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  1. BARCELONA, A CREATIVE CITY? • A few ideas • “Creative City Region” conference • Dublin • 18th October 2007

  2. A. URBAN PROFILE OF BARCELONA • History • Geography • Baseline situation

  3. URBAN PROFILE OF BARCELONA (1) • Policies are not formulated in vacuum • More than 2,000 years of history: founded by Romans, medieval “glory”, “modern age” decline, industrial and contemporary revival… • Geography • Municipality: compact; 100 sq km; 1.5 M • Metropolitan area; compact; 650 sq km; 3,2 M • Metropolitan region; polycentric and urban sprawl; 1650 sq km; 4,5 M • Absence of external migration (1980-1995) • Specificities of the “baseline” situation in 1975-1979 • A metropolis without its own state • Capital of Catalan culture • All kind of deficits. No welfare state. Broad consensus.

  4. URBAN PROFILE OF BARCELONA (2) • Frozen energies burst, and are channelled • An ambitious long-term urban regeneration project is formulated. Strategic planning through public-private partnerships. • “Creative class” leadership avant la lettre • Industrial decline. Promotion of a city of “advanced” services. Culture is soon identified as a key resource. • The European integration (1986), bringing political stability. • Inner-city decentralisation. Power to neighbourhoods. Social cohesiveness and “sense of place”. • The Olympic project (1992): the catalyst.

  5. B. CULTURE and REGENERATION • Phase 1: 1979-1986 • Phase 2: 1987-1995 • Phase 3: 1996-2004

  6. Phase 1: 1979-1986 • Culture is “obvious” • Local Government leads the process of urban regeneration • Olympic nomination (1986) • Urban planning is connected to cultural references. New public spaces. Contemporary creation and memories of the place. • Traditional festivities are re-discovered (la Mercè) or re-invented “to celebrate the joy of living together”. • Loss of creative capital: audiovisual • The bill of local cultural infrastructure: who pays? • Coherence between programmes aiming to improve external image and “citizenship” programmes

  7. Phase 2: 1987-1995 • “We have to be ready” • Local Government leads the process of urban regeneration • Central government funding arrives • Olympic Games (1992) • World-class cultural infrastructure planned • Contemporary creation, central part of the brief • Solid public art programme • Civil society supports culture • Cultural management appears as a profession • Local media, the engine of the cultural system

  8. Phase 3: 1996-2004 • The “model” is reproduced, but... • National investments are not attracted. • Local Government has difficulties to lead the project. • Universal Forum of Cultures (2004) • The infrastructure planned in previous period opens the doors. Cultural infrastructure becomes more visible than ever • Creation of the Institute for culture, 1996 • First strategic plan on culture, 1999 • Density of festivals • Cultural Thematic Years: Gaudi Year (2002), Book and Reading (2005), Science (2007) • Libraries Master Plan • 22@bcn digital district

  9. C. LOOKING FOR A NEW PHASE • Urban policies and cultural policies

  10. Looking for a new phase: 2005-... • Challenges • Growing diversity and new citizenry: “productive diversity” or “isolation” • Public spaces, are we asking too much? • Commodification of culture • Governance: a new balance in delivering services: local, metropolitan, provincial, national, state • Governance: how “institutionalised” should urban policies be? What aliances and partnerships between civil society private actors and local governments?

  11. Looking for a new phase: 2005-... • Towards a new cultural policy • Agenda 21 for culture (www.agenda21culture.net) appears as a reference document for urban cultural policies • Culture, the fourth pillar of sustainable development • The first cultural strategy, evaluated in 2005. Result: “the context has changed” • The second cultural strategy, 2006

  12. Looking for a new phase: 2005-... • The second cultural strategy • Stakeholder and “social” participation: ownwership of the plan • One year of analysis, debates and open participation • Governance: Constitution of “Local Council for culture and the arts” • 3 main axis • Proximity • Excellence • Connectedness • Adopted by Barcelona City Council, at a Plenary session on 22 December 2006

  13. Looking for a new phase: 2005-... • Ten long-term programmes • BARCELONA LABORATORY • CULTURE, EDUCATION AND PROXIMITY • BARCELONA, READING CITY • PROGRAMME FOR INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE • BARCELONA SCIENCE • QUALITY OF THE CULTURAL FACILITIES • KNOWLEDGE, MEMORY AND CITY • BARCELONA CULTURAL CAPITAL • CULTURAL CONNECTIVITY • BARCELONA COUNCIL OF CULTURE

  14. BARCELONA, A CREATIVE CITY? • A few ideas • “Creative City Region” conference • Dublin • 18th October 2007

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