Spatial quality of cultural production districts

PhD ceremony: Ms. A.J. Smit, 11.00 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Spatial quality of cultural production districts

Promotor(s): prof. P.H. Pellenbarg, prof. J. van Dinteren

Faculty: Spatial Sciences

Within large cities, creative firms are often concentrated in a limited number of districts. Cities across the globe aim to develop such creative zones. What’s new? Many creative work tasks are perceived as quite “footloose,” that is, place-independent: “If I have a telephone, a computer, and a bike, I could be located anywhere.” However, creative entrepreneurs attach importance to their direct environment, because their district’s visual quality, atmosphere and creative reputation increase their productivity. This place-independency leads to a paradox of place: Because creative entrepreneurs can be located “anywhere” within cities, the quality of place becomes even more important in their location decisions.

In this explorative study, sixty-three visual artists, photographers, architects, designers, and filmmakers are interviewed within three creative clusters on the district spatial scale: the Eastern Docklands in Amsterdam, the Lloyd Quarter in Rotterdam, and the Hortus Quarter in Groningen.

Remarkably, visual quality is very important in location decisions by creative entrepreneurs. Moreover, there is more than one visual model for cultural production districts. Urban design, architecture, waterfronts, and parks may have various forms, provided that they single out one place from other, mainstream places.

Furthermore, it appears that a district’s concentration of creative firms is perceived as beneficial because of a creative atmosphere and a creative reputation. Notably, actual collaborations between creative firms within walking distance are hardly important in location decisions.

The implication for planning of cultural production districts is that visual quality, atmosphere and reputation are important in location decisions and daily functioning of creative firms.