Introduction
In the modern world, the level of urbanization is constantly growing. As the infrastructure develops, cities attract more and more resources and extend their borders. Metapolicies and, in general, cities with a high population density appeal to the creative class and to people whose professions are associated with inventions and innovations. These people, in their turn, contribute to the cities’ economies, introducing innovations into everyday life, opening start-ups, and helping to make cities more attractive to businesses. To promote creativity worldwide, UNESCO created the ‘Creative City Network,’ which aims to further cooperation among cities in design, literature, media arts, and others. Creative innovations, in their turn, may become drivers of economic growth and stable development.
This work looks at the notion of a creative city and cultural contribution to cities’ economies. The role of culture for cities’ steady expansion in the past and today is examined, and conclusions are made about how it has transformed over the years. Some examples of creative cities are given, and the role of cultural properties as a driver of economic development is investigated.
The role of culture in modern cities
Many factors predetermine the rapid growth of cities, but preconditions for urbanization today differ sharply from those that drove people from villages to cities in the nineteenth century. The nineteenth century was characterized by rapid industrial growth combined with a relative decline in handicraft production; artisans who did not have work in rural areas had to come to cities in search of a better life. The abolition of serfdom in Europe left many peasants landless, and they had to move to town to provide for their families. The cities, conversely, enjoyed rapid growth due to the emergence of many industries and manufacturers. Apart from industrial production, people in cities were occupied in building, landscaping and street lighting, urban transport, water and gas supply, healthcare, and education.
Today, many factors contributing to the development of cities in the past have become redundant. For example, Glaeser (2021, para.1) states that “the power of transport to determine urban fortunes has declined.” Glaeser (2021, para.1) says, “Transportation infrastructure no longer transforms cities unless complementary investments, such as education accompany it.” The notion of complementary investments becomes predominant in the urbanization of cities of today since nowadays cities need new incentives, which would go hand in hand with commerce and good infrastructure.
These initiatives include cultural properties as an accent from the wealth-producing function of cities gradually gave way to the function of comfortable living (Krstinić Nižić, Rudan and Trinajstić, 2019). Civilization moved from the ideology of wealth accumulation to the ideology of creating comfort (Krstinić Nižić, Rudan and Trinajstić, 2019). Industrial cities of the past are no longer appealing to people if new cultural initiatives do not transform them.
The realization of the prospects for the exhaustion of the industrial model in many cities that were considered ‘industrial giants’ and the fundamental post-industrial transformation of a number of major urban centers raised the question of new development guidelines in the changed situation. A cultural shift is seen as a key characteristic of urban space transformation as it allows to create comfortable living environment, which, nowadays, becomes a fundamental condition for economic development (Krstinić Nižić, Rudan and Trinajstić, 2019).
The choice of place of living today is not determined by such factors as good infrastructure or transport system — the key factor is the opportunity of self-realization. Young creative people are ready to work practically in any city, the development of which is based on innovative approaches of creating a comfortable environment and which incorporates culture into its everyday life.
Intensive migration generated by global political and economic processes has led to the interpenetration of cultures. Citizens who have high mobility and travel around the world get a new cultural experience and understanding of the urban environment and cultural practices in it. New challenges for the culture of big cities are both demands for new cultural forms seen in other places and the threat of losing identity (Duxbury, Hosagrahar, and Pascua). Large cities have a similar set of cultural infrastructure: museums, theaters, cultural centers, cinemas, libraries, and parks. Global processes erase the differences between these objects, the result of which is that many cultural facilities look the same.
Every person wants to live in a city that is unique. This demand for uniqueness is best answered by developing creative innovations that help transform cities’ look and environment. In developing new industries, city authorities should take into consideration cultural identity, which is based on cultural traditions of the place. Nowadays, authorities face the question of how to reconcile the development of technologies with the preservation of cultural properties of a city (Duxbury, Hosagrahar and Pascua). To help cities solve this problem through guidance and experience exchange in 2004, UNESCO launched creative cities’ network (UNESCO. Why creativity? Why cities?). To understand what are its aims and how it works the notion of ‘creative city’ will be discussed in detail.
The Notion of ‘Creative City’
It is hard to imagine a modern megapolis without creative features. Most cities aspire to have a unique look and design to attract tourists and businesses. UNESCO (UNESCO. Why creativity? Why cities? para 1) states its aims in initiating ‘creative cities network’ as “drawing on peer learning processes and collaborative projects to fully capitalize on [cities’] creative assets and use this as a basis for building sustainable, inclusive and balanced development in economic, cultural, environmental and social terms.” Creativity, becoming a substantial part of cities’ infrastructure, helps to find unique architectural solutions to promote the cities’ cultural, social, and technological properties.
The cultural properties of creative cities are very different; UNESCO divided creative cities into categories to ensure extensive collaboration and experience exchange. These categories include literature, design, film industry, music, gastronomy, digital arts, craft, and folk arts (UNESCO. Why creativity? Why cities?). Today, the ‘creative cities network’ comprises 246 cities from 80 countries (UNESCO. Why creativity? Why cities?) Creative cities may be big and small, and they may be situated in geographically, economically, and politically diverse areas of the world. The only feature they have in common is that their culture is seen as a driver of progress and economic development. Creative cities presuppose close integration of creative elements into the very fabric of city life.
An excellent example of a creative megapolis is Singapore; the city combines excellent infrastructure and geographic position, which allow it to be Asia’s transport hub, with stable economic development and a high level of life. The city’s population is 5,7 million people; its financial market comprises 200 banks, which allows it to be the center for economic initiatives and exchange of experience (Paul). One of the busiest entrepots is Singapore’s port due to its unique position on the shortest route from Europe to Asia and vise versa. The port of Singapore is one of the largest globally, half of the world’s oil passes through it, and a quarter of all the world’s cargo has visited its berths (Ganapati, Wong, and Ziv, 2021). The scale of building within city borders is astonishing.
The number of city industries is amazing; medical innovations, aerospace technology, clean energy, healthcare, and content development also significantly contribute to the city’s economy (Paul). A densely populated city with a lot of industrial manufacturing, a huge port, and financial center has faced the problem of cultural identity, as focus has shifted from how wealthy the citizens are to how comfortably they live. A crowded megapolis was losing its attractiveness to people living within its boundaries. The city authorities have decided it was time to change the focus from production-oriented development to culturally-oriented one. The design was chosen as a cultural property to be developed since it allowed to incorporate the city’s industries into cultural projects.
Singapore blends design solutions in its infrastructure to make the city environmentally friendly and comfortable for life. People from all over the world come to admire Singaporean skyscrapers and majestic buildings in neo-modern style. One of the most notable is the ultramodern Museum of Science and Art, built in the form of a lotus. Together with other buildings, it forms a stunning panorama of the famous Marina Bay embankment. The ecological component of the museum is also striking: the pool located in the recess accumulates and processes rainwater, forming a continuous cycle of its use (Paul).
Another masterpiece of modern architecture and design, the park Gardens by the Bay contains many interesting sights and 220 thousand plants from all over the world (Paul). The main feature of the park is super-trees made of aluminum and steel. They are copies of real trees that perform all their functions and even a little more (Paul). Built-in solar elements collect and produce light, and the rainwater collection system redistributes water to fill fountains.
Architectural design in Singapore is not only the source of admiration and pride of citizens; it also adds to the economic properties of the city by attracting tourists and emigrants who want to be a part of such incredibly sophisticated beauty. As UNESCO (UNESCO. Network of creative cities. Singapore. para. 2) states, “the design is a key driver of the creative economy and contributes each year to the GDP of the city to a height of 2.13 million Singaporean dollars, with a number of companies active in this area estimated to be 5 500 employing a workforce of 29,000 people”. Thus, culture serves to mollify discounted with industrial landscapes citizens and becomes a major driver of economic growth.
Another creative city is the small Russian town of Ulyanovsk, the primary interest of which lies in the literary field. The city counts about 600000 inhabitants and lies near the river Volga (Yalçın and Turan, 2018, p. 135). The town’s territory is not big: it is possible to go from the city center to the outskirts. Not long ago, the town was not any different from other small Russian towns scattered across the country’s vast territory. People were leaving the city in search of a better life in Moscow or Saint Petersburg. The situation had changed when the town embraced an economic model focused on cultural development and made literature an integral part of its everyday life.
The city launched several initiatives to promote interest in reading among its citizens. Among the most notable are ‘Literary tram’ and ‘International Literary Skating Rink’ projects. Within the ‘Literary tram’ initiative, all trams were decorated with quotations from well-known writers and poets; passengers could listen to the poems’ of famous poets during their journey (Yalçın and Turan, 2018). ‘International Literary Skating Rink’ was launched in January 2021 on the Cathedral Square of the city (UNESCO. Network of creative cities. Ulyanovsk). Poems by poets from Ulyanovsk and other literary cities were performed on the main square. Then the voices of poets from different countries could be heard on the ice rinks in the city’s districts.
With the introduction of literary dimension in the city’s development plan, the population outflow stopped. While there are few tourists, the town enjoys stable growth due to the revival of printing and other businesses. According to estimations, the creative economy of Ulyanovsk over the past ten years has been multiplied by three (UNESCO. Network of creative cities. Ulyanovsk). The city attracts businesses connected with literature such as printing and editing and small hi-tech companies since the city became attractive for investors due to creating a comfortable living environment.
Conclusion
Looking at urbanization processes worldwide and discussing the prospect of cities’ development helps better understand the reasons and directions of the evolution of cities. The role of culture in contemporary cities has undergone significant changes. While earlier culture served to raise the population’s educational level, it has become a driver of urbanization since cities with rich cultural inheritance attract more people. From money consuming industry, culture turned into a major factor of economic growth. Finally, culture unites people; shared cultural traditions and values contribute to a comfortable atmosphere within the city. While previously culture resided in galleries and museums, now it is closely woven into the very fabric of everyday life.
Reference List
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