Creative Small Cities: Rethinking the Creative Economy in Place

Abstract

Whether advocating creativity as a means to place competition or critiquing the social dislocations that stem from creativity-led urban regeneration, research about the creative economy has tended to assume that large cities are the cores of creativity. That many workers in `creative' industries choose to live and work in small urban centres is often overlooked. In this context, this article aims to recover within debates the importance of size, geographical position and class legacies in theories of creativity, economic development and urban regeneration. Using empirical materials from a case study of one Australian city—Wollongong, in New South Wales—it is argued that what might at first appear a rather parochial example illustrates the importance of rethinking the creative economy in place. Crucially, it is shown that, regardless of the numerical population size of a city, creativity is embedded in various complex, competing and intersecting place narratives fashioned by discourses of size, proximity and inherited class legacies. Only when the creative economy is conceptualised qualitatively in place is it possible to reveal how urban regeneration can operate in uncertain and sometimes surprising ways, simultaneously to estrange and involve civic leaders and residents.

Small Towns - Engines of Rural Development in the South-Moravian Region (Czechia): An Analysis of the Demographic Development

“…However, the creativity is not only the matter of formal education but also talent, motivation, preference and similar factors, which will play their role. Waitt and Gibson (2006) remind that big cities are the bearers of creativity but creative workers o en decide to live in small towns. The role of small towns in the period of globalisation through their identity could be important (Knox and Mayer, 2009).…”

Fostering Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation in Cities

“…The innovative city construction comes from the public branches, which projects the city development from the generation of innovative and technological knowledge (Marceau 2008;Fang et al 2014;Inkinen 2015;Oh et al 2016). Entrepreneurial strategies of public agencies Chapin (2002) Entrepreneurship as a stimulate agent of economic development Doucet (2013) Entrepreneurial strategies of public agencies and partnerships with the private sector Glaeser, Rosenthal and Strange (2010) Entrepreneurship as a comprehension tool of urban activities Rahman and Fatima (2011) Entrepreneurial strategies of public agencies Dannestam (2008) Innovative strategies to increase the city competitiveness Creativity Costa et al (2007) Stimulus to Creative Industries Martin et al (2015) Stimulus to Creative Industries Evans (2009) Investments in S&T and stimulus to Creative Industries Waitt and Gibson (2009) Stimulus to Creative Economy Å. Andersson and D. Andersson (2015) Investments in R&D, establishment of an academic environment and transparency of public agencies Hospers and Pen (2008) Diversity and urban instability as conditions which stimulate urban creativity Hall (2000) Stimulus to Creative Industries Carter (2013) Stimulus to Creative Industries Grodach (2013) Stimulus to Creative Economy Innovation Hospers (2008) Establishment of a city brand Capello, Caragliu and Lenzi (2012) Investments in R&D and higher education Shearmur (2012) Innovation as social process in cities Marceau (2008) Stimulus to innovation and knowledge from public agencies to firms and population Fang et al (2014) Science, technology and innovation in urban environment…”

Discount chains in the small towns and rural areas in Poland

“…(Leibovitz 2006). An improvement of availability of the most important urban centres and, within them, an increase of security and better quality of the urban area represent important elements of the formation of identity of inhabitants as well as sources of the development of positive social approaches directly influencing the level of social and economic activity of residents (Waitt & Gibson 2009). It is also necessary to take initiatives in shaping the commercial network of small towns, taking into account the increasing competition discounters to win market competition from small, local shops.…”