How have you creatively developed urban economies?

1 Identify your strengths and assets

One of the first steps to developing a creative urban economy is to identify and leverage your city's unique strengths and assets. These can include natural resources, cultural heritage, human capital, infrastructure, institutions, networks, and innovation ecosystems. By building on your comparative advantages and distinctive identity, you can create a more competitive and attractive urban brand, as well as a more diversified and resilient economic base. For example, Barcelona has used its rich architectural and artistic legacy, its Mediterranean location, and its vibrant entrepreneurial culture to become a global hub for tourism, design, and technology.

3 Promote your creativity and diversity

A third step to developing a creative urban economy is to promote your creativity and diversity as sources of value and opportunity. This can involve supporting and nurturing your creative industries, sectors, and clusters, such as arts, culture, media, entertainment, education, research, and innovation. These can generate economic growth, employment, and exports, as well as enhance your urban quality of life, identity, and image. Moreover, this can involve embracing and celebrating your cultural and social diversity, such as ethnicity, gender, age, and disability. These can enrich your urban fabric, culture, and society, as well as foster social cohesion, integration, and empowerment. For example, Toronto has used its multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism to become one of the most diverse and livable cities in the world, as well as a leading center for finance, media, education, and innovation.

4 Experiment with new solutions and models

A fourth step to developing a creative urban economy is to experiment with new solutions and models that can address your current and emerging challenges and opportunities. This can involve adopting a more flexible and agile approach to urban planning and policy making, that allows for testing, learning, and scaling of innovative ideas and initiatives. This can also involve exploring and adopting new forms of urban organization and collaboration, such as circular economy, sharing economy, collaborative economy, and social economy. These can offer more efficient, effective, and equitable ways of producing, consuming, and distributing goods and services, as well as enhancing your urban resilience, sustainability, and social impact. For example, Amsterdam has used its circular strategy and living labs to become a pioneer in reducing its environmental footprint and waste, as well as increasing its resource efficiency and circularity.

5 Connect with other cities and regions

A fifth step to developing a creative urban economy is to connect with other cities and regions that can offer you inspiration, learning, and cooperation. This can involve joining and participating in various urban networks, platforms, and initiatives that can facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices among urban actors and stakeholders. This can also involve establishing and strengthening your strategic partnerships and alliances with other cities and regions that can complement your strengths and assets, as well as expand your markets and opportunities. By connecting with other cities and regions, you can enhance your urban learning and innovation capacity, as well as your urban competitiveness and influence. For example, Singapore has used its global city strategy and smart nation initiative to become a leader in urban development and innovation, as well as a gateway to Asia and the world.

6 Monitor and evaluate your progress and impact

A sixth and final step to developing a creative urban economy is to monitor and evaluate your progress and impact. This can involve developing and applying a set of indicators, metrics, and tools that can measure and track your urban economic performance, outcomes, and impacts. This can also involve collecting and analyzing data, evidence, and feedback that can inform and improve your urban economic policies, strategies, and actions. By monitoring and evaluating your progress and impact, you can ensure your urban economic accountability, transparency, and effectiveness, as well as identify and address your urban economic gaps, challenges, and opportunities. For example, Copenhagen has used its green growth monitor and dashboard to assess and communicate its achievements and ambitions in becoming a green and smart city, as well as a role model for other cities.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?