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Culture - A symbolic or economic success factor for urban development planning? A study by Ineum Consulting for the Forum d’Avignon Foreword How can we gauge the role of culture in the worldwide competition between different urban areas to stand out as the most appealing? What strategies do cities deploy to attract visitors, businesses, students and researchers? What exactly is the role that culture plays: is it an economic or is it a symbolic issue in developing different urban areas? What are the connec- tions between investments in tangible and intangible heritage (museums, festivals, seasonal exhibitions etc), cultural expen- diture agreed by both private and public decision-makers, an area’s economic dynamism, fi elds of excellence, and consideration of the living environment? This study - which falls within the scope of the second edition of the Avignon Forum – Culture, Economy, Media being held from the 19th - 21st November 2009 at the Palais des Papes based on the theme “deploying cultural strategies in order to pull out of a recession” - proposes adopting a completely original approach with a view to understanding different urban areas’ development strategies. This publication, created by Ineum Consulting on behalf of the Avignon Forum, is the result of their meeting: the Avignon Forum, due to its knowledge of the international key players’ network, contributes towards analysing evolving trends at the crossroads of economy, media and culture, and Ineum Consulting offers its knowledge of issues associated with the Public Sector, its sectional skills (culture, communication, media) and its savoir-faire with regards strategic refl ection and transforming organisations. The objective of the work carried out is to highlight a dual challenge: to put into place for the very fi rst time an international sample group, and to establish a barometer designed to bring to light cultural integration strategies as part of economic development. This fi rst barometer is an attempt to bring together approximately ten indicators – distributed by international bodies – into two catego- ries: the fi rst, to assess economic performance and the second, to gauge the level of cultural and academic activity. The main aim of this analysis, carried out on approximately thirty towns, is to study the relationships between these two categories of indicators. The aim of this barometer is to gather a wealth of information through publications (integrating with other cities, refi ned criteria, and assis- tance from international bodies in collecting data...) and to track the evolution of the cities in terms of the progression of their strategies. The purpose of the various trains of thought put forward in this study is to stimulate debate and do not lay claim to ‘ranking’ different ci- ties in terms of their cultural appeal. For this exact reason, those responsible for carrying out this study invite the sample towns to offer their comments and suggestions. ([email protected]). Happy reading Marco LOPINTO Marie-Joëlle THENOZ Jean-Pascal VENDEVILLE Partners - Ineum Consulting Acknowledgements We would like to show our appreciation to the experts who have agreed to answer our questions and the co-writers of this report: • Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator, Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, United States • Hervé Digne, Vice-President of the Avignon Forum • Jean-Cédric Delvainquiere, Delegation for Development and International Action/Department for Studies, Strategic Foresight and Statistics (DEPS), Ministry of Multure and Communication, France • Ian Morsomme, Secretary General of Brussels Metropolitan Region, Belgium • Xavier Greffe, Professor, University of Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne, France • Lynda Hawe, Measuring the Progress of Societies OECD Global Project, OECD • Alexandre Joux, Director, Avignon Forum • Laure Kaltenbach, Director General, Avignon Forum • Nicolas Orsini, Direction for the development of media, Minister for Culture and Communication, France • André Rossinot, President of the urban community of Grand Nancy, France • Inaki Azcuna Urreta, Mayor of Bilbao, Espagne and Monica Bosi, Nathalie Boulet, Arnaud Breton, Tiphaine Demont, Jonathan Deschatres, Perrine Gros, Elodie Lagarde. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CULTURE AND THE APPEAL OF DIFFERENT URBAN 04 AREAS: WHAT IS THE LINK? a. Culture is central to post-industrial knowledge-based economies 04 b. Links between culture and an urban area’s appeal 04 c. Cultural appeal of an international selection of major cities: introducing 05 an annual barometer 2. STRATEGIC CARTOGRAPHY OF DIFFERENT CITIES: 09 OFFICIAL REPORTS AND FINDINGS a. Is the existence of a heritage a prerequisite? 09 b. Cultural policies and the development of higher education can replace a 10 lack of tangible cultural heritage c. Different cities use culture as a development lever in different ways 14 d. The social and economic impact of a development based on culture and 15 higher education is greater in smaller cities e. The relationship between the concentration of cultural heritage and 17 strong higher education with the economic performance of a city f. Levers for acceleration and anchorage 18 3. POINTS FOR REFLECTION 19 a. How to improve the information gathered on an urban area? 19 b. What are best practices in terms of tools and facilities? 19 c. What are the winning strategies? 19 4. APPENDIXES 21 a. Bibliography 22 b. Statistical sources P.4 Culture, A symbolic or economic success factor for urban development planning? 1. CULTURE AND THE APPEAL OF DIFFERENT URBAN AREAS: WHAT IS THE LINK? a. Culture is central to post-industrial “In order to function and prosper in a knowledge-based society, private businesses and public bodies must now embrace a new knowledge-based economies and fundamental mission: knowledge management. To pro- duce more and to use and share knowledge on a national and Competition is growing between different urban areas to attract worldwide scale, is absolutely crucial for these businesses and capital, intelligence and dynamic minds. organisations.”4 In a world that is becoming increasingly globalised and progres- In this knowledge-based economy, “creative industries”5 play a sively more urban, cities are no longer satisfi ed with a regional crucial role. or national future. Some cities are now striving towards an inter- national future and are competing with those world cities whose “In today’s global economy cultural products are increasingly in appeal has already transcended the borders of their national demand and it is even possible to state that non-cultural pro- territory, in order to realize their development objectives. This ducts assume cultural dimensions in terms of their content, form necessitates being both visible and appealing. or meaning, aspects that are therefore eminently creative. This is the very condition that causes them to become competitive.”6 Can culture - defi ned in the more general sense of the word as «the set of distinctive spiritual and tangible, intellectual and emotional traits which characterise a society or a social group b. Links between culture and an urban and embraces, in addition to the arts and humanities, lifestyles, area’s appeal ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs»1 - become a way for a city to become more visible transcending its In terms of issues concerning economic development and the regional and national borders? development of an urban area’s social and cultural capital, it is important to consider possible links between culture and appeal. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission It is generally accepted that the analysis of an urban area’s - during the time when the Commission adopted a Communi- appealing features shows the importance of the combination of cation2 on a European agenda for culture in a globalising world cultural policies, the development of knowledge-based economy - emphasised that “culture and creativity are important driving and of living environment. forces behind personal development, social cohesion and eco- nomic growth”. Type of feature Features Public development policies based on culture focus not only • Action-packed towns Features linked to the • Infrastructures and cultural services upon championing cultural heritage and cultural diversity, but level of cultural activity • Showcasing architecture also upon bringing into play conditions that encourage training • Diversity and multiculturalism in practical experience and knowledge. • Quality of education In this way, these policies stimulate innovation, research and Features linked to the • Knowledge of languages creativity, sources of new economic wealth, and factors to en- knowledge-based • Qualifi cation of human capital hance economic, social and cultural capital. economy • Research and innovation These policies contribute towards helping a specifi c urban • Quality of health care area enter into the virtuous circle of development and appeal, • Nightlife through a “Brain Drain” process, as Richard Florida’s work3 Features linked to living • Living environment for example, on the “Creative class” was able to identify. His environment and the • Quality of life analysis shows that from a globalisation perspective, there is a general environment • Quality of telecommunications • Internal transport polarisation in terms of the concentration and specialisation of ‘talent’. • Competitiveness over wages • Economic diversity The 2001 OECD report entitled “Cities and regions in the new Features linked to • Competitiveness