Accommodating creative knowledge Sako Musterd Urban Geography University of Amsterdam

ACRE project objective learn more about the conditions that are important to the development of creative and knowledge intensive industries in various European urban regions

learn more about the conditions that are important to the development of creative and knowledge intensive industries in various European urban regions

Creative industries Advertising, architecture, arts and antiques, crafts, design, designer fashion, video, film, music, photography, visual and performing arts, publishing, computer games, software and electronic publishing, radio and TV

Advertising, architecture, arts and antiques, crafts, design, designer fashion, video, film, music, photography, visual and performing arts, publishing, computer games, software and electronic publishing, radio and TV

Knowledge intensive industries Law (legal sector, accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, etc), financial sector, R&D, ICT, higher education

Law (legal sector, accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, etc), financial sector, R&D, ICT, higher education

ACRE project focus What are the development paths of creative knowledge regions and how are these informed by the wider economic and societal contexts? How important are hard (classic), soft and other conditions for the creative and knowledge intensive industries in European urban regions? What are the settlement considerations of managers, highly skilled employees and transnational migrants in the creative knowledge sector when they decide to settle in an urban area?

What are the development paths of creative knowledge regions and how are these informed by the wider economic and societal contexts?

How important are hard (classic), soft and other conditions for the creative and knowledge intensive industries in European urban regions?

What are the settlement considerations of managers, highly skilled employees and transnational migrants in the creative knowledge sector when they decide to settle in an urban area?

Integrated Methodology ‘ Comparative’ ‘ Similar’ sectors ‘ Similar’ target groups ‘ Similar’ questionnaires (common design) ‘ Similar’ item lists Systematic approach (more robust results) Including different theoretical perspectives (path dependence, clustering, classic conditions, soft conditions, networks)

‘ Comparative’

‘ Similar’ sectors

‘ Similar’ target groups

‘ Similar’ questionnaires (common design)

‘ Similar’ item lists

Systematic approach (more robust results)

Including different theoretical perspectives (path dependence, clustering, classic conditions, soft conditions, networks)

Development paths: wider economic and social contexts; main factors Position due to the development of the European city system The impact of the industrial revolution on the urban region The question whether the urban region has a key political or economic decision-making function The question whether urban regions are pushed forward by policies aimed at stimulating regional economies

Position due to the development of the European city system

The impact of the industrial revolution on the urban region

The question whether the urban region has a key political or economic decision-making function

The question whether urban regions are pushed forward by policies aimed at stimulating regional economies

‘ hard’ or ‘classic’ conditions … agglomeration economies (clustering) connections (road, air, water, rail, telecommunications) capital labour (jobs available) wider institutional setting (including taxes regimes, special policies, etc.)

agglomeration economies (clustering)

connections (road, air, water, rail, telecommunications)

capital

labour (jobs available)

wider institutional setting (including taxes regimes, special policies, etc.)

… or ‘soft conditions’ … Attractiveness (urban atmosphere; housing availability and affordability) Diversity Welcoming Historical assets Tolerance Openness Safety

Attractiveness (urban atmosphere; housing availability and affordability)

Diversity

Welcoming

Historical assets

Tolerance

Openness

Safety

… or personal ‘network’ conditions … Born in the region Family lives here Studied in the city Proximity to friends

Born in the region

Family lives here

Studied in the city

Proximity to friends

Some empirical results based on ACRE large-scale surveys among high-skilled employees, managers, and transnational migrants

Perc. highly skilled employees that ranked networks, hard, or soft conditions indicators as most important 2373 100 8 34 58 Total 201 100 1 42 57 Dublin 183 100 4 32 64 Milan 191 100 10 42 47 Toulouse 200 100 10 91 Sofia 132 100 4 17 80 Riga 155 100 3 23 74 Poznan 178 100 10 60 30 Munich 159 100 8 50 43 Leipzig 191 100 10 39 51 Helsinki 197 100 5 24 71 Budapest 165 100 5 38 57 Birmingham 200 100 11 27 62 Barcelona 221 100 26 35 38 Amsterdam N Total percentage Soft conditions Hard conditions Networks

Concepts Personal networks born in region family lives here studied in City proximity to friends Hard conditions moved because of my job moved because of partner's job good employment opportunities higher wages size of city good transport links presence of good universities Soft conditions weather/climate proximity to natural environment housing affordability housing availability housing quality safe for children open to different people open minded and tolerant gay/lesbian friendly language overall friendliness diversity of leisure & entertainment cultural diversity diversity of built environment

Personal networks

born in region

family lives here

studied in City

proximity to friends

Hard conditions

moved because of my job

moved because of partner's job

good employment opportunities

higher wages

size of city

good transport links

presence of good universities

Soft conditions

weather/climate

proximity to natural environment

housing affordability

housing availability

housing quality

safe for children

open to different people

open minded and tolerant

gay/lesbian friendly

language

overall friendliness

diversity of leisure & entertainment

cultural diversity

diversity of built environment

Relative share of respondents that ranked indicators as among the four most important from a list of 26 indicators, assembled in specific dimensions, per urban region

Some conclusions Difference between cities (a city is mainly context) Structural conditions, embeddedness and pathways are key to understanding current opportunities (but not just these) Multilayered cities have advantage Networks and employment opportunities are especially important Pathways, hard conditions, soft conditions and networks must be considered simultaneously Policies matter

Difference between cities (a city is mainly context)

Structural conditions, embeddedness and pathways are key to understanding current opportunities (but not just these)

Multilayered cities have advantage

Networks and employment opportunities are especially important

Pathways, hard conditions, soft conditions and networks must be considered simultaneously

Policies matter

POLICIES

POLICIES What Policies and Policy Vehicles? What Spatial Level? What Organisational Arrangements? Policy Challenges for cities

What Policies and Policy Vehicles?

What Spatial Level?

What Organisational Arrangements?

Policy Challenges for cities

What Policies and Policy Vehicles? Visible policies : Economic Development Policy Investing in Skills: Employment services, Training, Attracting Investors/firms: Sites and premises, Business incentives City marketing, Visitor attractions, Creative quarters, Prestige projects

Visible policies : Economic Development Policy

Investing in Skills: Employment services, Training,

Attracting Investors/firms: Sites and premises, Business incentives

City marketing, Visitor attractions, Creative quarters, Prestige projects

What Policies and Policy Vehicles? Less Visible policies : Education City planning, housing affordability, neighbourhoods, quality of life Local service delivery: environmental, leisure and other services National and local taxation Immigration controls, citizenship rights and the welfare state Representation and influence, bureaucracy and regulation, ‘the ways things work’

Less Visible policies :

Education

City planning, housing affordability, neighbourhoods, quality of life

Local service delivery: environmental, leisure and other services

National and local taxation

Immigration controls, citizenship rights and the welfare state

Representation and influence, bureaucracy and regulation, ‘the ways things work’

What Policies and Policy Vehicles? Less Visible policies : ‘the ways things work’ Encouraging the availability of services for businesses – financial, legal Support for partners - Trade associations, personal networks How easy is it to start and set up a business? Where does advice and support come from? A role for policy: providing or enabling Tensions around integration of policies, holistic approaches, bureaucracy should not kill creativity

Less Visible policies : ‘the ways things work’

Encouraging the availability of services for businesses – financial, legal

Support for partners - Trade associations, personal networks

How easy is it to start and set up a business?

Where does advice and support come from?

A role for policy: providing or enabling

Tensions around integration of policies, holistic approaches, bureaucracy should not kill creativity

What Policy Vehicles? Strategies : What are they based on? Objective assessment for each city of needs, objectives, resources, implementation, and evaluation (not a simple transferable formula, but context dependent) Policies Cluster Policies, Creative or Knowledge, Firms or People, Traditional hard factors or soft factors, Network facilitation, Attraction and Retention Supported Activities how targeted, financed, what conditions

Strategies : What are they based on?

Objective assessment for each city of needs, objectives, resources, implementation, and evaluation (not a simple transferable formula, but context dependent)

Policies

Cluster Policies, Creative or Knowledge, Firms or People, Traditional hard factors or soft factors, Network facilitation, Attraction and Retention

Supported Activities

how targeted, financed, what conditions

POLICIES: Spatial Scale National, Regional, Sub-regional, Local Neighbourhood Each has a role in relation to different policies but is the responsibility, capacity and competence at the right level? Tensions: the lack of a regional level? The failure to align policies?

National, Regional, Sub-regional, Local Neighbourhood

Each has a role in relation to different policies but is the responsibility, capacity and competence at the right level?

Tensions:

the lack of a regional level?

The failure to align policies?

POLICIES: What Organisational Arrangements Between levels of government Between private sector actors Across each of these sectoral divisions Across professional, sectoral and administrative boundaries Who leads? Listening, Learning and Responding rather than charismatic leadership?

Between levels of government

Between private sector actors

Across each of these sectoral divisions

Across professional, sectoral and administrative boundaries

Who leads? Listening, Learning and Responding rather than charismatic leadership?

Conclusions and Questions In the context of each city: Are the assets and dynamics understood (size, structure, pathways, politics, organisations etc.) Is the policy framework favourable? Different spatial scales and alignment between them? Is there effective cross boundary working? Policy integration – holistic approaches? Is the emphasis on the appropriate economic sectors? Is the focus right (firms and hard factors……..housing affordability… networks, attraction and retention)?

In the context of each city:

Are the assets and dynamics understood (size, structure, pathways, politics, organisations etc.)

Is the policy framework favourable?

Different spatial scales and alignment between them?

Is there effective cross boundary working?

Policy integration – holistic approaches?

Is the emphasis on the appropriate economic sectors?

Is the focus right (firms and hard factors……..housing affordability… networks, attraction and retention)?

Conclusions and Questions Does the leadership and policy process work? Should there be more or less policy? Is a different policy style required? What is missing? What is needed?

Does the leadership and policy process work?

Should there be more or less policy?

Is a different policy style required?

What is missing?

What is needed?