OECD Culture and Local Development.pdf - PACA

4. THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF CITIES
- The third tendency involves entrepreneurs who exploit the linkages between
the various possible strategies for boosting economic activities, and thereby
change the production-consumption profile of cities. New projects remodel
cities both from the productive viewpoint, by drawing upon the creative classes,
and from that of consumption, by diversifying the range of potential products
and activities. They do this by putting their trademark on various types of
activities (for example, Virgin), by making their presentation and packaging a
lever to attract consumer interest (for example, Sony) or by developing new
activities under their own brand (for example, Viacom).
Behind these new landscapes combining culture and entertainment, there are
some very significant economic strategies aimed at restructuring city centres, cultural
quarters, and brownfield sites. At the beginning, these territorial overlays were
primarily the work of a few big cultural or entertainment entrepreneurs. But other partners
are rapidly being drawn into such activities. Their opportunities or their risks will generally
depend on how they deal with the real estate problem. Traditional real estate agents
have the advantage of knowing about opportunities and anticipating them, but they
do not have the capital needed to finance operations. In contrast, the entertainment
business does not know much about real estate, but it has all the ingredients needed
to put together new activities. The banks have the capital, but they cannot always
count on reaping their return within the desired time limits. Finally, traditional
commercial players are a varied lot: some will be reluctant to venture forth in such
vessels. At the outset, the links between these players may depend largely on
personal initiatives.
Over time, partnerships are structured, for example under the impact of policies
such as those of the Urban Land Institute in the United States. Yet the authorities have
gradually become more involved in these operations, for two reasons: they have the
power to regulate property use and award development rights, and they express the
popular will, which may be initially resistant to such projects.
As significant as it is on the economic front, this shift towards the entertainment
city leaves open several possible interpretations. Are we in fact bringing together all
of society’s members and communities in places where they can together enjoy a new
sociability? Or are we instead speeding up the destruction of vernacular spaces and
cultural identity by eliminating what is left of public spaces in the post-modern city?
Measuring the contribution of culture to urban development
Over the past decade, a number of methods have been proposed for measuring
the place of cultural activities in the urban economy, calculating their contribution
and showing the authorities when and how to take action to promote their development.
CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT - ISBN 92-64-00990-6 - © OECD 2005 151