Cultural and Creative Ecosystems in Medium-Sized Cities: Evolution in Times of Economic Crisis and Pandemic

Abstract

This article seeks to forecast the short- and medium-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the cultural and creative ecosystems of the 81 cities in Spain with between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. Data on employment in nine sectors (per NACE Rev. 2) support the characterization of cultural ecosystems based on their dynamism, specialization, and propensity to form clusters (thanks to the co-location of certain sectors, meant to generate inter-sectoral spillovers and cross-sector synergies). The applied methodology consists of comparing these three attributes during and following the 2008 financial crisis. Then, any changes observed are interpreted in light of arguments from the COVID-19 literature, and from our own analysis, in order to assess the probability of recurrence (or nonrecurrence) during the current pandemic. Throughout this process, the metropolitan or non-metropolitan position of cities is taken into consideration. A first conclusion is that, as in the financial crisis, the behavior of ecosystems during the pandemic will be asymmetric. Secondly, metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities will maintain their distinctive sectoral specializations. Non-metropolitan cities appear to be more vulnerable for their strong connection to creative sectors most affected by the pandemic, although some can take advantage of good cultural supply and proximity to metropolitan centers. Metropolitan cities seem more secure, thanks to the higher presence of less vulnerable sectors (due to elevated and accelerating digitization). Nevertheless, most functional clusters were diminished during the financial crisis, and it seems unlikely that sectoral co-locations will re-emerge in a post-pandemic scenario as a business strategy, at least in the short term. Beyond these forecasts, we recommend dealing with certain structural failures of these ecosystems, especially the vulnerability and precariousness of most cultural and creative companies and workers.

Loss of New Ideas: Potentially Long-lasting Effects of the Pandemic on Scientists

“…Thus, our results are in line with existing research that shows the importance of face-to-face interactions for spurring new research projects [18][19][20]33] as well as the negative impacts of crises on an individual's creativity [34]. Notably, many of these factors, including the lack of in-person interactions and the stress and anxiety induced by the pandemic, are not unique to the scientific workforce, suggesting that the patterns we observe here may also apply to other creative professions [35,36].…”

Urban Industrial Tourism: Cultural Sustainability as a Tool for Confronting Overtourism—Cases of Madrid, Brussels, and Copenhagen

“…Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has opened within tourism studies a framework for reflection on the resilience of urban destinations in the face of crisis; the literature analyzing the impact of the pandemic on tourism and cultural activity is already large and varied [79][80][81][82]. On the other hand, in regard to the urban destinations where industrial heritage might play a role in the deconcentration of historic centers (such as those analyzed here), no specific bibliography has been detected, suggesting the possibility that future studies could be developed on this topic.…”

A local and territorial approach to the operation of the culture economy in medium and small cities: case study of the Spanish cities of Mérida and Cuenca

“…Regrettably, contact proved impossible with a significant number of companies appearing in these directories, whether due to insufficient data or because they had vanished (given the small business size and high mortality common to the sector). Undoubtedly, problems experienced by such companies in medium and small Spanish cities thanks to the pandemic and consequent restrictions on cultural activities, whether for reasons of suspended activity or outright closure, have further frustrated the collection of a larger sample (Escalona-Orcao et al, 2021).…”