CITIES IN THE FUTURE…

Charles Landry starts his new column on 2010lab.tv. (mentioned in a previous issue). A world expert on creative cities, in this first contribution he argues that that ‘creativity has become a mantra for our age and is a world-wide phenomenon”. He asks, “Has the word creativity become so overused that it is losing its meaning and power? Creativity for many seems like the answer to most problems, but is it being asked to solve more problems than it can cope with?” This thinking echoes warnings from the UK, where the think tank Centre for Cities has warned that 39 out of 56 cities in England have identified the creative industries as a local priority. Can they all become creative places, or will some miss out? Landry’s answer is that the creative city needs to change its focus from being the most creative city IN a region, to being the most creative city FOR the region. This gives city-making an ethical foundation, and helps them become ‘places of solidarity”. It’s a compelling view – especially as more and more cities slash their cultural funding. More here.