Towards the creative city

Abstract

Some cities overflow with talent like lush rainforests, whereas others exist on barren wastelands or settle for being an oasis in the middle of the desert. Collective creativity, like individual personalities, is born then nurtured. There are places whose residents have the time and the inclination (due to the harsh climate) to amass wisdom and skills in the solitude of the fireside, and indeed they do so, but they are not then capable of turning that knowledge into a cultural asset; and there are other places whose residents spend most of their time in the street (also because of climate) and create art without realising whenever they tell a joke or look at the stars. The reasons why certain knowledge or a particular technique or intuition becomes a cultural product are vague and in any case laboured. What is clear, however, is that some public authorities are unable to cope with the proliferation of shining stars among their citizens, while others never use up their annual culture budget.