The role of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ factors for accommodating creative knowledge: insights from Dublin's ‘creative class’

Abstract

The idea of the creative knowledge city has received considerable attention in the last number of years, not only in the academic literature but also from urban policymakers. Much of the attention has centred on the 'creative class' thesis and its relevance for regional economic growth. By taking the thesis at face value, this paper empirically analyses the extent to which Dublin's creative knowledge workers conform or otherwise to the characteristics of the 'creative class'. Thus, we investigate the satisfaction of Dublin's creative knowledge workers with the 'hard' and 'soft' factors associated with the city's living environment. We also analyse the most important reasons attracting creative knowledge workers to the Dublin region. In addition, the paper also explores the mobility of Dublin's creative knowledge workers within the context of locational and workplace mobility. The results show that workers within the creative knowledge class are attracted to Dublin on the basis of classic factors: employment availability, family and birthplace. 'Soft' factors play an important role in the decision-making process of only a small minority of workers.

Residential preferences of the ‘creative class’?

“…Policy formation has also been in keeping with the desire to promote what are considered more sustainable urban models in the wake of the suburban sprawl of Dublin over the last three decades; yet, the focus has been predominantly upon the 'soft' amenity factors (DRA, 2009). Thus, creative workers are so actively catered for in current policy formation because it is assumed that they are attracted by 'soft' conditions despite the fact it is the 'classic' conditions that are more influential in their decision-making process (see Murphy and Redmond, 2009). This suggests that existing policy is out of kilter with the available evidence on the preferences of the 'creative class'.…”

The Spatial Mobility of the ‘Creative Class’: A European Perspective

“…For instance, he argues that although a new class of highly skilled transnational migrants has appeared in Europe, less than 2% of European citizens actually live abroad; the ‘stayers’ in Europe still vastly outnumber the ‘movers’. In a recent case‐study Murphy and Redmond (2009) tested the role of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ factors in attracting creative knowledge workers to the Dublin region. Their results show that members of the creative class are attracted to the city mainly on the basis of classic factors: employment availability, family and birthplace.…”

A blueprint for strategic urban research: the urban piazza

“…These successful firms normally adopt a high degree of professional specificity to generate significant added value for the stakeholders, both economically and spiritually. They are often characterised by rapidly changing design specifications in order to serve increasingly individualistic lifestyles (Scott, 2006, 3; Murphy and Redmond, 2009, 20). This emerging ‘New Economy’ is characterized not only by new types of industry, but also by the fact that these emerging industries can make a significantly higher contribution to growth and innovation within the broader knowledge-based society (Lee et al, 2004; Scott, 2006, 3; McGranahan and Timothy, 2007; Murphy and Redmond, 2009, 20).…”

“…They are often characterised by rapidly changing design specifications in order to serve increasingly individualistic lifestyles (Scott, 2006, 3; Murphy and Redmond, 2009, 20). This emerging ‘New Economy’ is characterized not only by new types of industry, but also by the fact that these emerging industries can make a significantly higher contribution to growth and innovation within the broader knowledge-based society (Lee et al, 2004; Scott, 2006, 3; McGranahan and Timothy, 2007; Murphy and Redmond, 2009, 20). Policymakers often view these industries as key contributors to industrial creativity and innovation performance, technological change, social development and (building and sustaining) economic growth and progress (Jones-Evans and Klofsten, 1997; Bommer and Jalajas, 2002; Kourtit and Nijkamp, 2010).…”