This document discusses creative careers and urban development during economic downturns. It contains the following key points: 1) Creative graduates often pursue portfolio careers and self-employment, taking on unpaid work to gain experience and contacts. They value creativity over financial rewards. 2) Arts and culture can be strategic urban development assets by enhancing quality of life, attracting skilled workers, and supporting clusters and networks that drive industries. Cultural resources and amenities shape place identities and branding. 3) During recessions, creative workers frequently change jobs and take unpaid work to build skills while facing hardships like pay cuts. However, they remain adaptable and innovative in exploring new opportunities.

1. 08.01.2013
Creative urban development
in a period of
economic downturn
Rene Kooyman
9 Jan 2013
Crisis? What crisis ?
Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg:
 Globalized wreckage financial Markets
Systemic failures
 S i f il
 Rampant speculation
 Consequent lack of values
 Degradation of our ecosystem
 The deterioration of our living standards
g
 The escalation of unemployment
 Mounting social pressures
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2. 08.01.2013
After The Crunch
Creative Career Stories
 Creative graduates stay connected with their peers: for
creating opportunities, for critique, for combating the
isolation, and for finding work
 Collaboration crucially provides opportunities: discuss work
and, seek feedback
 Graduates value working with others and joining together to
share costs or show work collectively
 W d of mouth and active networking are crucial f j b
Word f h d i ki i l for job
seeking, as opposed to job advertisements
 Five to seven years after graduation, creative graduates
continue to engage mainly in work related to their discipline.
CURE-WEB.EU
Career dynamics: Portfolio working
and self employment
 Portfolio careers and self-employment dominate
p g
 Graduates take on responsibilities in management
senior roles, not always matched by higher pay
 Creative graduates sacrifice financial reward for the
personal satisfaction derived from creativity
 Working to high standards, making new work, rising
to new challenges, learning new skills, recognition
by pee s a d c e t sat s act o a e important, as
peers and client satisfaction are po ta t,
well as facilitating creativity in others
 main barriers to career progression: financial, lack
of contacts and relevant experience
Creative Career Stories, London 2010
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3. 08.01.2013
Development of creative
careers
 Key career facilitators: a strong work ethic,
resourcefulness,
resourcefulness and good industry contacts
to inspire, support and collaborate peers
 Freelance and short contract work is very
common
 Work placements and industry experience
are important for careers and significant for
gaining experience and building work
contacts
Adapting to the recession
Frequent job changes and undertake unpaid
work:
 to gain experience, skills and insight
experience
 this can cause considerable hardship
 the economic downturn has had an impact on
incomes and on growing creative ventures
 graduates experiencing pay cuts, redundancy
and increased competition
 they are, however, adaptable and inventive in
exploring new markets and clients
 The urban context crucial
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4. 08.01.2013
the ‘Cultural Turn’
in Urban Planning
To major devlopments:
a. Globalisation
b. The ‘new’economy
The arts – cultural resources,
amenities and facilities – have turned
i i b
into strategic urban assets
Context What Arts and Culture can do
Restructuring of the • strategic significance intellectual property-
business community based cultural and creative (content)
industries
・ new marketing and branding for
existing/traditional businesses.
Importance of: ・ personal/career location decisions
quality of life and ・ business location decisions
quality of place ・ inward investment decisions
in location decisions
Reduction of ‘suburban ・ downtown areas more attractive for work
flight’ and residence
・ Enhance evening economy/24 hour eco
• Encourage renovation of
industrial/heritage/historical districts
・ develop human and social capital – skills,
trusts, reciprocity, networks
・ create busier and safer streets through
animation and related strategies
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5. 08.01.2013
What Arts and Culture can do
City-regions – not just local/regional identity and ‘brand’ of
localities product(s) (Barcelona/Catalunya)
Need for highly skilled Attract highly skilled, high value-added, and
workforce knowledge intensive workers.
The digital imperative: ・ Create, exploit and disseminate the ‘content’
for infrastructure and of the cultural and creative industries.
content ・ Establish a distinctive brand and niche for
the urban area/city-region
・ Create synergies between ‘art’ and ‘tech’
Importance of clusters ・ Create urban ‘critical mass’ and venues for
and networks creative networking.
・ Create ‘non-functional’ and informal
non functional
networks
・ Bring together creators, producers,
consumers, and investors to develop the
industry base and market.
Towards Cultural Planning
 Cultural resources are taken seriously
in planning frameworks
 Strategic: part of a larger strategy for
urban and community development
 Integral: folk, work, place
 Planning: predict, plan, invest,
steering resources
 Responsive and comprehensive in its
scope
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6. 08.01.2013
Florida’s T’s
Both
soft and
hard
location
factors
Brugge: cultural heritage
Empty shopping
street not viable
Now:
• pop-up shop
• courses
• vernacular
design
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7. 08.01.2013
Colchester UK
 Hidden
Kiosk
 This
One
Wall
 First
site
http://www.flickr.com//photos/creativecoop/sets
/72157627604513355/show/
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8. 08.01.2013
Lille Metropole: Imaginarium
Beyond the crisis: Building Trust !
 (Re)define / create your identity
 Create a sustainable corporate story
 Five criteria:
 Relevant
 Realistic
 Open dialogue (responsive)
 Sustainable
 Trustworthy
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9. 08.01.2013
rkooyman@rkooyman.com
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