“That word creativity is a slippery thing,” according to John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy.  I agree, and that’s one reason it was such an extraordinary opportunity for me to moderate a conversation this afternoon at the Detroit Creative Cities Summit with John, Charles Landry, author of The Creative City, and Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class.  More than any others, these three have put creativity on the urban agenda.

Although the creative city, the creative economy, and the creative class are fundamentally different concepts, they are all related. Each panelist has clearly been influenced by the work of the others. 

Creativity is not only slippery, as John said.  It is also risky business.  It “fails” more often than not. And therefore, it’s not easy political business.

But we did talk about the prerequisites for the creative city. The panelists’ list includes openness, curiosity, the right to use your full talent, and the right to full expression (the freedom to create). 

Richard asserts (and I agree) that bigger cities have real advantages over smaller cities.  So he had special advice for 3rd tier cities:  Build strength by connecting to a bigger city, connecting to universities, accept brain circulation as a reality and use it to your advice, understanding what is authentic about your city and capitalize on that (distinctiveness), and most especially, acting with imagination.

Richard admonished us to remember, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”  In his view, the current financial crisis is, in part, a reflection of our need to bring into being a new kind of creative economy – what Bill Gates recently called “creative capitalism.” 

“Use the narrative you have,” Richard told us.  That works at two levels today:  The creative city as a response and way through the global financial narrative and Using distinctiveness to build your local narrative.

The panelists agreed that people gravitate to physical beauty.  There is today an aesthetic premium. If your city does not have naturally beautiful physical assets, then you have to build them.  (And as Charles noted, it is far more efficient to build something beautiful and worthy now than have to tear down something unworthy 30 years from now.)

Charles called for a concerted effort to advocate for the creative city and build evidence for the case for the creative city.  He also urged us to work with places in a coordinated way to implement projects in “the new creative city paradigm.” 

John reminded us that it is unlikely that politicians will take the lead on the creative city.  Instead, it is up to us to define the agenda and ask them to respond.  In this, content is king. 

Today’s discussion was important to sorting through what the content should be.

Sean Benesh, October 16, 2008

Great blog. I'm moving to Springfield, IL in a couple of weeks for work and it's a little painful moving from a city of a million that's growing (Tucson) to a small Midwest city. How do discern what's the "creative status" of my new city?

Link: http://www.epochcenter.org

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