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Linking cultural industries and regeneration : a policy framework based on lessons from Europe

University of British Columbia

Hall (1998) has identified the 'cultural city' as a global trend in urban marketing. Postindustrial cities falling under this label aspire to be identified with flagship projects, e.g. museums, and/or beautification schemes tied to reusing old buildings, especially empty warehouses or factories, located in former industrial zones close to the central business district (Brown et al 2000; Evans 2001; Post' 1999). Some European cities such as Manchester, UK, and Bilbao, Spain that experienced catastrophic de-industrialisation during, the 1970s and 1980s are investing fresh economic, as well as aesthetic, value on regenerating old industrial areas of the inner city around the notion of 'cultural industry quarters' (CIQs) (Brown et al 2000; Fleming 1999; Vicario and Martinez Monje 2003). There is an emerging pattern of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) aligned with culture (e.g. designers) gathering in the inner city, or its fringe. In their choice of location, 'cultural industries' that constitute what I acknowledge as the 'new cultural economy' after Scott (1999, 2000, 2001) have an affinity for heritage structures, especially industrial, and land use zones. Thus, governments in Europe are encouraging cultural SMEs to cluster in inner city heritage districts called 'cultural industry quarters'. This thesis is a literature review that identified economic, spatial and social inclusion, or community development, policies for forging linkages between cultural SMEs and urban regeneration around the concept of CIQs. Three questions are addressed: 1. What policies could achieve cultural industry growth in the inner city? 2. What policies could meet the space needs of cultural SMEs, and other inner city users? 3. What policies could protect and advance social inclusion in CIQs? Concluding with a strategic policy framework, themes, objectives, goals and indicators are defined for the cultural economic, spatial and social inclusion roles of regeneration led by cultural SMEs. The framework is the outcome of reviewing academic literatures on the geography of cultural economy, related gentrification processes, and cultural SME led regeneration. Other information sources were government studies, websites dedicated to the encouragement of cultural industry and seven example CIQs, mostly UK, useful as reference points. Lessons learned from Europe could inform local authorities, particularly spatial planners, who are interested in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of cultural industry quarters.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-12-03

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/16295

Planning

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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