The Paint Factory Placebook - Report - Page 31
HOYNE PLACEBOOK®
2.3
Building creative
neighbourhoods
THE ROLE OF CULTURAL SPACES
IN THE WIDER CITY
Creativity and culture shape cities in countless ways, from
identity and social participation to economic performance
and innovation. Offering a critical mass of population, urban
infrastructure and administrative resources, cities are the
natural incubators and disseminators of culture – essential
ingredients for the character and uniqueness of any place.
In urban centres worldwide, population growth has led to a spike
in property prices which has consequences, albeit unintended,
for cultural spaces like theatres, live music venues, art galleries
and studios used for art practice, rehearsals, exhibitions, and
performances. The affordability and availability of workspaces
for artists have declined as have the number of conveniently
located places to live. The cheap rents and larger spaces that
enabled artistic work to be pursued are disappearing.
As Carol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School
of the Arts, once wrote in the Huffington Post:
“Artists have always been central to
the allure of cities, from classical Greek
sculptors; to Impressionist painters;
to the musicians, poets and artists of
the Harlem Renaissance; to the Beats
of Greenwich Village and North Beach.
Artists gravitate to the intensity of cities
and to each other. This proximity has
created Bohemia, a condition of mind
that we associate with cultural
innovation and risk.”
To preserve the diversity and cultural richness that artists
bring, cities need to somehow guarantee permanently
affordable live/work spaces into the future.
The benefits of culture and creativity to cities:
1
Culture as a social unifier
2
Culture as a promoter of tourism
3
Culture as a place identifier
4
Culture as a workplace attractor
5
Culture as an economic engine
THE CASE FOR CLUSTERING
Globally, “creative precincts” or clusters are emerging in
cities of all sizes. Creative precincts (encompassing community
hubs, co-working spaces, studios, creative offices, adaptive
spaces or makerspaces) enable creative entrepreneurs to
work with other entrepreneurs and artists; facilitate the
exchange of information, knowledge, and ideas; and enhance
collaboration, innovation, and social integration while
achieving economies of scale and scope. Such precincts or
hubs form networks that will drive the growth of creative
industries at the local and regional level, providing jobs,
education and opportunities. They can also provide a variety
of services: mentorship, training, event space, access to
hardware, software, or equipment, even funding opportunities.
Clustering and agglomeration with diverse professionals
stimulates innovation while increasing opportunities to access
better knowledge, technologies, and new market opportunities.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION
Creative industries don’t thrive in outer fringe locations as
they don’t normally require large lot facilities and tend to
be highly specialised. They benefit from central locations,
near local clients and skilled pools of labour. These creative
enterprises tend to be smaller and more urbanised, likely due
to their diverse labour needs and close association with other
centralised companies or individiuals in the cultural industries.
For cities to become successful incubators and disseminators
of culture, multiple strategies need to be adopted, from
policymaking and engaging the populace to investment in
hardware such as infrastructure, and software such as
cultural programming and flagship events.
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