Creative City: From urban regeneration to privatization

Abstract

The new phase of socio-economic development and the transition from the industrial to the post-industrial era also had its spatial consequences. The urban areas, previously intended for industrial production, were abandoned and devastated. The significance of creative industries is often linked to their catalytic role in regenerating such areas. To this end, the concepts of cultural quarters, creative clusters and creative cities emerged, aiming to revitalize deteriorated zones by assigning them new meanings and innovative content. As the entire concept of creative industries is closely related to the context and local management policies, the implementation of the ideas mainly depends on the local authorities. The focus of the study is on analysing the relationship between creative solutions and spatial issues. The goal of the study is to draw attention to both positive and negative outcomes of such an approach. Concluding considerations indicate that creativity in the urban environment hinges not only on management policies but also on citizen participation and civil initiatives that arise in response to official policies.