Draft Concept Outline UNESCO Creative Cities Beijing Summit (20/23 October 2013)

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1 Draft Concept Outline UNESCO Creative Cities Beijing Summit (20/23 October 2013) The city as a center where, any day in any year, there may be a fresh encounter with a new talent, a keen mind or a gifted specialist-this is essential to the life of a country. To play this role in our lives a city must have a soul-a university, a great art or music school, a cathedral or a great mosque or temple, a great laboratory or scientific center, as well as the libraries and museums and galleries that bring past and present together. A city must be a place where groups of women and men are seeking and developing the highest things they know. ---Margaret Mead Cities as a challenge In a basic sense, a city is a crossroad where the local interacts with the global, an intersection where tradition dialogues with modernity in a confluence where the economic meshes with the cultural. Cities are in fact both hubs of creativity, which foster socio-economic growth through development of creative industries, and socio-cultural clusters, connecting diverse communities within an intercultural inclusive urban environment. Indeed, the words cities and civilization both spring from the common root of civitas, a Latin word which in ancient Rome reflected both citizenship and human settlements.. Faced both with the challenges and opportunities posed by contemporary globalization, cities need new strategies to respond to, and mitigate, emerging problems and find creative ways of adapting to the post-industrial society. 1 While globalization has had its successes benefitting many people and countries, it has also opened new areas of debate and concern. Although growth has spread in every continent, inequalities persist and new ones are being created. Clearly, new technologies are bringing people together in dynamic ways that were unimaginable two decades ago; yet many people feel insecure, even threatened, by this technological advance. At one and the same time, there is growing, interconnection and communication, and inertia and counter-forces which resist these developments. It seems 1 Ilse Helbrecht, Bare Geographies in Knowledge Societies Creative Cities as Text and Piece of Art, 30, no. 3, Creative Cultural Knowledge Cities (2004),

2 that we have not yet come fully to terms with the complexities and paradoxes of globalization. Hence,, the future of our urban settlements, especially the strategic direction of their growth and development, have become essential for understanding contemporary trends of globalization with a view to insuring that its benefits are better understood, accepted and shared. The weight of cities Cities have been at the heart of development and innovation since the first city of significant size emerged in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. This trend has culminated today through extensive demographics shifts which have had a significant impact on almost every aspect of city life and existence. If in 1950 only 29 percent of the population lived in urban settlements, the year 2008 marked the first time in history when the majority of the world s population lived in the cities, - a number projected to reach 70 percent in The urban population is growing by 1 million every week, and it is believed that by 2030 almost 6 out of 10 people will be living in metropolitan areas. Main urban conglomerates, such as Tokyo, Mexico City and Mumbai together host together over 75, 5 million people, while new metropolises spring to life in areas considered rural only a few years ago. Thus, after having spent thousands of years living mostly in small settlements, humanity has now entered an evolutionary urban stage.. 3 The patterns vary considerably, but the role of cities viewed globally is following an ascending trend, especially in emerging countries. More than half the GDP of countries comes from cities, and taking in account the dynamism of emerging economies, it can well be argued that the future of the world depends on what will happen in the cities of the developing world, whether the focus is on social and political conflict, food, energy, or practically any other area. 4 The urban population reached 1 billion in 1990, and is expected to reach 3.4 billion by 2025, with the United States as one of the few Western countries where cities have continued to grow. In Europe, the urban population is not expected to change much in the coming 2 Cities Today: A New Frontier for Major Developments, Saskia Sassen Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 626, The Shape of the New American City (Nov., 2009), pp Nature, 21 October 2010, Vol 467, Neal R. Peirce, Curtis W. Johnson, Farley M. Peters, Century of the City, The Rockefeller Foundation (2008). 2

3 decades; the projection is that it will rise from 920 million in 2010 to 1.1 billion in Latin America, on the other hand, is highly urbanized, with 80 percent of its population living in cities, as compared to 41 percent in In the case of Africa, and although only 40 percent of the continent s population currently lives in cities, the urban population is growing very quickly and many of the world's fastest growing big cities African. Asia's urban population is growing faster than in any other region of the world, thus continuing the trend from the twentieth century. 5 At a deeper level, urbanism seems to reflect a universal human aspiration. 6 Under certain conditions, cities can be the greatest vectors of dynamism, growth, innovation and living together. Their rapid growth can also be regarded as an opportunity for sustainable development, if conceived as a process which is at once inclusive, as well as economically and socially respectful of the diversity of all cultures. Recognized as the globe s wealth builders, cities attract new inhabitants by promising although not always offering in reality better livelihoods through enhanced access to water, sanitation, education, health services, - and economic opportunities. Cities, culture and development Throughout human history, cities have provided the world s great ideas and economic innovations, due to their intrinsic capacity for change. Thus, it has been observed that: transformations are as essential to cities as learning is to human beings. To maintain and improve their positions in the world, cities must adapt to changing circumstances. 7 However, the unprecedented pace and scale of changes that took place in the last century requires a new dynamic of adaptation. The obvious demographic shifts affecting the cities today cannot be solely interpreted in classic economic terms. Increasingly, knowledge, culture and creativity have become new keywords in understanding the rapid urban transformations 5 Nature, 20 October 2010, 467, Joel Kotkin, Will Great Cities Survive?, Sako Musterd, Wim Ostendorf, Creative Cultural Knowledge Cities: Perspectives and Planning Strategies, Built Environment, 30, no. 3, 2004 ( ). 3

4 Cities, which want to be innovative, to flourish and to offer wealth and employment to its inhabitants, feel that they have to adapt to arenas in which knowledge and creativity can develop. Culture is often added to this arena, not just as a condition to attract the creative knowledge workers, but also as a major economic sector, intricately interwoven with other sectors of the economy. 8 Indeed, culture is an essential component of human development. It represents a source of identity, innovation and creativity for individuals and communities as well as a tool for reconciliation, social cohesion and peace. Culture is pervasive in all our lives; we live in and with our culture, it conditions our thoughts and behavior, eating and dress habits, our musical and artistic preferences, as well as our immediate living environment. Culture often drawing upon diverse traditions and reflecting a diversity of expressions; also form the core of a city. A city without culture is a city without soul. The multiple components of a city s cultural heritage are embodied in its monuments, landscapes, intangible heritage practices, customs, the shape of streets and houses, and in the very way in which citizens live together every day. Today, it is increasingly recognized that culture and creativity constitute a tremendous economic capital. Cultural industries have become powerful engines of economic growth and export, generating considerable income and employment. At the same time, cultural industries matter more and more in an economy, where human creativity is predicted to become the critical resource. The shift towards envisioning culture and creativity as strategic outlets for innovation, production, income generation and poverty reduction, places knowledge as a prime mover of the economy, including within industries, where it materializes through research, development and innovation. Creativity is thus a major driver of the emerging knowledge economy, and cultural industries have today reached a global value close to US$ 1.3 trillion. Cultural tourism accounts for 40 per cent of the total world tourism revenues. In New Zealand, culture and recreational services account for 2.37 percent of the GDP as compared to 0.69 for high-profile forestry and logging. Singapore is also turning to a softer side of growth by looking to the arts for 8 Sako Musterd, Wim Ostendorf, Creative Cultural Knowledge Cities,

5 the next stage of economic growth. Altogether, the culture sector represents between 2 percent and 6 percent of GDP in many OECD and in developing countries alike. A 2009 study of French national heritage sites concluded that for an input of some 1 billion USD, jobs were created with around 31 billion USD generated in terms of direct or indirect revenue. An UNCTAD estimate has indicated that between 2002 and 2008, the global creative economy generated an annual growth rate of 14 per cent. Design, in particular, may play a paramount role in today world s creative economy; innovative and inclusive approaches to design build environmental and cultural sustainability in everyday products, into architecture and city planning. Through the promotion of effective collaboration in the field of design, local cultural stakeholders can take stock of their cities potential in developing sustainable solutions for urban planning, architecture and information systems. Situated at the crossroads of culture, imagination, markets, communities and trade, design theories and practices are indeed at the heart of the strategic nexus linking culture sustainable development. UNESCO s Creative Cities The establishment of UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2004 marked the inauguration of a new understanding of the role of cities as specialized actors in the creative economy landscape. The Creative Cities Network is a global platform designed to promote the social, economic and cultural development of cities in both the developed and the developing world through knowledge sharing and innovation. Through the Creative Cities Network, UNESCO is seeks to identify connections between different global trends that are currently reshaping many aspects of globalization, as creativity and urbanization are gaining momentum both in the developing and developed world, thus rapidly becoming dominating features of our societies. As diversity is intrinsic to creativity, the Network distinguishes between seven different categories, each addressing a key dimension of cultural life. These are Literature, Film, Music, 5

6 Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Media Arts and Gastronomy. Public-private partnerships are being actively sought for to help strengthen the impact of the Network through the development of cultural capacities. Connecting and networking cities is intended to enhance the sharing of knowledge and experiences, ideas and best practices, for cultural, social and economic development. The Creative Cities Network thus addresses key challenges such as the need to make urban development more liveable, sustainable, inclusive and creative, which is important for every city in the world. Contemporary cities share common challenges of planning, infrastructure and resources, housing and environment, welfare and health. And yet every city is different, and every solution must be tailored to specific needs and contexts. To this end, effective policies remain strategically important. Success in attracting creative industries or creative actors is an outcome of long-term policies affecting soft infrastructures, directly involving UNESCO s domains of expertise: education, the sciences, culture and communication and information. Creativity and artistic expressions are of importance to UNESCO because of the way in which they bring about something universally human. Architecture, crafts, sculpture, paintings, design, fashion, film, music, dance, performance art, painting, literature and increasingly so video and digital arts have an important contribution in defining our identity and sense of belonging. Without the arts, we would be deprived of an authentic sense of ourselves and the world. To draw common lessons from diverse experiences, sharing is necessary. The expanding UNESCO Creative Cities Network, having brought together 34 cities from across the world so far, is a platform for partnerships, for sharing experience, for showcasing best practices and evidence as well as developing joint action under the auspices of UNESCO. It is an instigator of creative solutions, effective collaboration and new synergies. The Summit By gathering the representatives of the Creative City Network and of Candidate Cities as well as decision- and policy-makers, and culture policy experts, the Beijing Summit will be a platform for exchange and multi-stakeholder dialogue on key global issues: 6

7 - How can Cities provide the optimal framework for the integration of culture into national development policies and programmes? Which strategies work, which do not? - How can culture be mobilized in contemporary urban contexts to foster peace and reconciliation? What specific aspect of culture, what concrete activities? - How to build on culture to promote poverty reduction, inclusive economic development and environmental sustainability in the City of tomorrow? What are the key nexus areas and spheres? On particular, the Summit will focus on experiences and proposals underpinned by innovative and inclusive approaches to culture and development, through culture-led revitalization of urban areas and public spaces. By showcasing successful environmental and cultural sustainability through everyday creative production and planning, the Summit will help identify avenues for growth and participation in the fragile context of present-day crises and global risks. At the same time, the Summit will be an opportunity for the identification of new member cities which would provide value-added for the Network and individual member Cities through the mobilization of new engaged actors. Following the Hangzhou Congress (15/17 May 2013) on Culture and Development and the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva (July 2013) on the promotion of science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture for sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the Beijing Creative Cities Summit will focus specifically on the linkages between culture and sustainable development from an urban perspective. It will also contribute to ongoing efforts place culture on the post-2015 UN development agenda and within the future sustainable development goals. 7