UNESCO, Idanha-a-Nova, and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network

The chapter's main objective is to study the city's rising role as a driver for implementing the 2030 SDGs and UNESCO Creative Cities Network's part as UNESCO's mechanism to support cities in the effort. The results show that there is a changing nature of authority in the policy cycle on a more holistic level, where alongside the nation-state, international organizations and cities play a vital role in the problem definition, decision-making, agenda-setting, transfer, and implementation of policies. The increasing importance of cities internationally stretches the municipal policy cycle from the local to regional, national, and international levels. Orchestration complemented with an inter-organizational relations framework is used to study the case of Idanha-a-Nova UNESCO Creative City of Music. The case study shows that Idanha-a-Nova drove the implementation of the SDGs locally with the Portuguese state's support. However, because it lacked expertise and mechanisms of implementing the goals, it reached out to private consultancy and individual experts.

In the Future, Will There Be Creative Cities in China?

The aim of this paper is to establish the notion of the creative city, show its essential characteristics, and critically evaluate and analyse what elements impact creativity and innovation in cities using real case studies and related literature. Finally, in the essay, the topic of whether or not China will have creative cities in the future is asked, and the feasibility of constructing creative cities in China is discussed, prompting a new way of thinking about China’s future creative city plan.

“Force Majeure”: The Transformation of Cultural Strategy as a Result of Urban Shrinkage and Economic Crisis. The Case of Riga, Latvia

Cultural strategies have been commonly used to address the consequences of urban shrinkage, particularly in a post-industrial context. Proliferated growth-oriented models, such as “creative city,” have threatened the sustainable development of shrinking cities. Alternative cultural models that prioritize social inclusion, local sensitivity, and affordability are thus urgently needed. Using Riga as a case study, this paper explores the process of transformation to an alternative cultural strategy in a post-socialist shrinking city and identifies planning and governance tools that stimulate its development. Employing qualitative interviews and document analysis, the relations between emergent and deliberate cultural strategies are investigated. The results show how the organization of the European Capital of Culture 2014 during the severe shrinkage and economic crisis led to five elements of an alternative cultural strategy: (1) a shift from investing in cultural “hardware” to “software,” (2) a locally sensitive approach, (3) cultural decentralization, (4) strengthened civic engagement, and (5) inclusiveness. These elements of an emergent strategy were recognized by local authorities and stimulated changes in the deliberate cultural strategy. This study supports the idea that urban shrinkage offers municipalities an opportunity to reimagine traditional planning practices and emphasizes the important role of civic actors’ participation in coproducing public services and governance strategies.

Artistic research in processes of urban change

Can the figure of the city of knowledge be an inspiration to commissioning of artistic research in contexts of urban change? This article argues that it represents a way beyond the seemingly dead ends that have been forged by the temporary and creative city. This article presents some initial reflections on this subject and reflects upon how artistic research expands the roles ascribed to public art. The conceptual approach to understand the relations between knowledge and the development of cities applied in this article, draws on the idea that cities are learned developed by urban geographer Colin MacFarlane (MacFarlane, 2011). The article applies MacFarlane’s concept to artistic research in public space and argues that artistic research as public art can move divisions between what is extra-public and public, known and unknown. Drawing on public art projects that have relations to the urban development of Bjørvika, the article argues that artistic research of the city produces new ways to “learn the city” and conceive change.

The Story and the Data

Creative economies are touted as engines for economic prosperity and social good in cities. The wide applicability and inclusive definition of what counts in creative economies means that conceptual definitions are not universal. Studies on the promise of the creative economy have emerged, however, analyses of these reports and their policy value are scarce. We explore five creative economy reports, applying the Narrative Policy Framework, a novel analytic lens for comparing policy documents according to “setting,” “characters,” “plot,” and “moral of the.” Key contributions of this research center the ways that reports use rhetorical devices and empirical data to support claims and recommendations, forwarding policy learning and adaptation as tools for building and sustaining creative city branding.

Creative Village Planning in an Effort to Support the Realization of Creative City

Population growth that continues to increase without being balanced with the extent of urban land causes an uncomfortable environment for all its society or communities. People need a chance to have a better life. Something new is required to solve this problem. One of the solutions is to create a Creative Village (Kelurahan Kreative), also as a form of support in realizing the Creative City. This study uses qualitative research with a literature study in data collection. The results show that this Creative Village can run with support from various parties; government, society, and the private sector. The collaboration of various parties will facilitate in realizing creative villages, which can be done by empowering the younger generation who are members of Karang Taruna (youth group). This young generation will move and develop the Creative Village. To support them, at first these young men will get various training as provisions. The use of technology is also important in efforts to realize Creative Village that will further support the creation of Creative City.