By definition and history of the term, the Creative City is a concept developed by Australian David Yencken in 1988 and has since become a global movement reflecting a new planning paradigm for cities. It was first described in his article ‘The Creative City’, published in the literary journal Meanjin. In this article, Yencken argues that while cities must be efficient and fair, a creative city must also be one that is committed to fostering creativity among its citizens and to providing emotionally satisfying places and experiences for them.

Also to quote, “The creative city when introduced was seen as aspirational; a clarion call to encourage open-mindedness and imagination implying a dramatic impact on organizational culture. Its philosophy is that there is always more creative potential in a place. It posits that conditions need to be created for people to think, plan and act with imagination in harnessing opportunities or addressing seemingly intractable urban problems.” Source.

Cities are the Agents of the Creative Economy

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES as a key driver of employment, innovation, and economic activity, that promotes city competitiveness and sustainability.

11.6% Of Total Employment is in the creative industry (2021)
15.4% Creative Industry Total Value Added Growth Rate, 9.3% faster than the non-creative economy (2016)
14.8% Possible reduction in youth poverty due to Creative Industry
PHP 375M Per employed person in the creative economy, indicating high production levels
Tourism – Cultural tourists generally spend more than other tourists and tend to generate fewer negative impacts, i.e. public disorder and environmental damage
Spillover – Innovation in the creative sector is likely to spillover to other
sectors in the local economy

Creative industries as the key to recovery and resilience.

Creative and Cultural industries are known to improve local production and innovation, increase the attractiveness of the area, and it can also have positive effects on people’s well-being, health, and social development.

Cities play a critical role in creating an environment for the creative economy to be more innovative and transformative, thus unleashing its maximum potential.

Sources: UNESCO and The World Bank (2021), OECD, Bayudan-Dacuycuy (2021)