The Creative City Index:

Measuring the creative pulse of your city

Charles Landry www.charleslandry.com
Preface
Flanders was an initiator of the Creativity World Forum and the global
network Districts of Creativity whose annual conferences have become a
benchmark for discussing creativity in a comprehensive way. Indeed the
event itself is put together and organized in an imaginative way. This
shows how the region has taken the creativity agenda seriously on board.
Both the City of Ghent and the Flemish Economic Scientific Conference (in
collaboration with the University of Ghent) share this belief that creativity
is an important motor for urban development. They have therefore joined
forces to organize this evening, focussed on the role of creativity in cities.
I will be delivering the key note speech during the pre-event of the
Flemish Economic Scientific Conference on the 18th November 2010.
My topic will be Measuring the Creativity of your City based on the
Creative City Index I developed over a year in collaboration with Bilbao
and the Bizkaia region.
It has ten domains, these are:

Political & public framework

Distinctiveness, diversity, vitality and expression
Openness, tolerance & accessibility
Entrepreneurship, exploration & innovation
Strategic leadership, agility & vision
Talent & learning landscape
Communication, connectivity & networking
The place & placemaking
Liveability & well-being
Professionalism & effectiveness

I do not want you just to listen. I want you the audience to self-assess the
city where you come from as you listen. Everyone will receive a scorecard
where you can judge your city according to the ten domains. 1 is very bad
and 10 is brilliant. Ideally under each heading make one brief comment. If
you are from Ghent write Ghent on top and if you are from elsewhere in
Flanders
write
the
name
of
your
city.
You will note that each domain covers a compact set of issues. In some
cases with a domain you will want to give a range of scores. For instance,
a place may be entrepreneurial within the private sector but less so
elsewhere or it may be the reverse. Or you consider your place as it
exists highly, but the ongoing development of it more lowly. Either way
try to come to a composite score.

I have discussed the index with colleagues in Ghent and after each section
I make some brief comments about the city to help you get a sense of
what we are looking for. Of course this text is not a full or final
assessment of the creative pulse in Ghent or any other city. Therefore a
thorough analysis would be needed. Nevertheless, this is a starting point:
an open invitation to reflect about our cities today and about how
creativity can help us shaping their futures.
The Creative City Index has many components and you are testing just
one, which is the subjective self-assessment. As leaders in your field I am
convinced that collectively this subjective judgement is quite objective.
Below I describe the Creative City Index and the text is 4000 words. If it
is too long for you just skim the headings and scan the document so that
you are prepared.
Setting the scene
Creative cities rise and fall and very few remain creative for a very long
time, such as two or three centuries. This is the central challenge of the
creative city notion, which is to develop the conditions, physically,
culturally and psychologically, for cities to become creatively resilient.
There have been many creative places throughout history and there are
many today. We can learn from what they achieved and they have
affected our various civilizations.
Each of these famous creative hubs offered us something unique from
which we can still learn today. Athens gave us an intellectual heritage that
fostered debate, analysis and critique. Venice highlights to us the
importance of specialization, expertise and trade networks. Florence
reminds us how important new business models are such as its invention
of banking systems. Vienna shows us how a configuration of core ideas
can affect a number of disciplines simultaneously. The rise of Paris as an
arts and fashion leader was triggered and aided by royal sponsorship,
which is in effect public investment. London of the swinging 60s hit a
global Zeitgeist or mood of change and the success of Silicon Valley helps
point out the elements required, organizational, financial and legal, to turn
ideas into reality.
Yet with our Eurocentric tendencies we can forget the history of other
continents. Kumasi the Ashanti capital was a creative hub as was the
historical Inca capital Cusco. In China places such as Ningbo or Changan
later Xian have a very long history. There is Kyoto in Japan and Indian
cities such as Varanasi or more recently Kolkata. All of them clustered the
powerful, the wealthy, the most gifted and the culturally sophisticated
attracting in the process the highest skills so setting up the conditions for
creativity.
In general the most comprehensively creative places were the seats of
Empire or at the centre of trade routes where political, economic and
cultural power could agglomerate. Yet many cities can express their

creativity as there is a vast amount of niches they can occupy. Not every
city is creative, but every city can be more creative than it already is.
Bilbao shows us lessons of physical regeneration and Helsinki in helping
create the internet based economy. These have both been measured
through the creative city index and are amongst the best in Europe. They
score very highly at just over 65%. Yet elsewhere we can note many
creative places such as Penang in Malaysia which always had an
intercultural mix and has been a leader in social movements and fostering
democracy. Kanazawa in Japan has found a strong cultural set of niches
for itself in spite of the pull of Tokyo and Osaka. San Francisco remains
creative. Its involvement in new arts movements was powerful and
advocacy for gay rights and equal opportunities also important and now it
is a strong innovator within the internet economy. Singapore has aspects
of creativity, especially its long term strategic focus, in spite criticism of
its controlling approach. Mumbai is a vibrant hub with creativity emerging
both from its slums as well as its software and media industries. Others
are on the creative horizon, such as Shanghai, which languished for many
years and once Chinese cities get beyond imitation and refocus on
invention the possibilities are immense.
What is a creative place: An overview
A creative place has a strong culture. It is somewhere where people can
express their talents which are harnessed, exploited and promoted for the
common good. Things get done. These talents act as a catalyst and role
model to the development and attraction of further talent. It is a place
with myriad, high quality learning opportunities, formal and informal, with
a forward looking and adaptable and highly connected curriculum. The
physical environment functions well for its inhabitants, it is easy to move
around and connect with each other. Its high level urban design inspires,
stimulates and generates pride and affection. The architecture, old and
new, is well-assembled, and the street pattern is diverse and interesting.
Webbed within the ordinary is the occasional extra-ordinary and
remarkable. It is an environment in which creators of all kinds are content
and motivated to create and where there are outlets and channels to
exploit innovations or for the sale of their work. It is a natural market
place, where people exchange ideas, develop joint projects, trade their
products, or work in its advanced industries. It offers rich, vibrant
experiences through for example gastronomy, the arts, heritage and its
natural surroundings, including thriving mainstream and alternative
scenes and a healthy network of third spaces. Opportunities abound: the
place is welcoming and encouraging. Its dynamism makes it a magnet and
so generates critical mass that guarantees longevity.
The political and public framework within which this exists has a clarity of
purpose and direction, and understands the importance of harnessing the
potential of its people. It is lean, clear and focused. Its workings are easy
to navigate and it is accessible, open and encourages participation. Public
employees here are focused on the job at hand regardless of
departmental boundaries. Differences are a natural part of this discussion
culture. They are debated, accepted, negotiated and resolved without
rancour. Its leadership has vision and is strategic yet is grounded in day

to day reality. It is respected and trusted and recognizes its vital role in
continuously identifying new opportunities and future-proofing. The
society it rules over has a high degree of cohesion, is relatively open to
incomers and to new ideas, even though these can sometimes be
uncomfortable indeed, creative places are often not that cosy and can
be somewhat edgy. This society enjoys its status as a creative hub and
the physical environment in which it exists. Levels of crime are in general
low, the place feels safe and standards of living are relatively high. It is
socially alert and seeks to avoid ghettoizing its poorest. Social
organizations are active, well funded and constructive.
Industry is innovative and design aware, with a strong focus on new
trends, emerging technologies and fledgling sectors such as developing
the green economy or creative industries. It is well networked and
connected and its commitment to research and development is well above
average. Cross fertilization across even the most diverse sectors occurs as
a matter of course. The business community is entrepreneurial, has drive
and is forward thinking. It understands and utilizes well its natural
resources, it harnesses existing talents and acts as a breeding ground for
new skills. Business leaders are respected figures in their community and
give something back. The community in turn is proud of their products
and the reputation they bring to the place. Good use is made of its
effective communications systems including local and international
transport, high speed internet access and connectivity to the world at
large.
Overall, as in all creative places, this place is unlike any other. You can
feel and sense the buzz, it is obvious to residents and visitors alike. It
accentuates its distinctiveness in a relaxed and unthreatening way. It is at
ease with itself. Its history, culture and traditions are alive, receptive to
influence and change, absorbing new ideas which in turn evolve and
develop its distinctiveness and culture.
The

ten

key

indicators

of

creative

place

We have distilled the above into ten key headings or groups of indicators
for creativity. Within each of these there are key traits or questions
indicating creativity which are described.
Creativity is clearly not the preserve of any single sector and it is
important to be wide ranging.

The education and training system: Primary, secondary and tertiary

education, professional development, lifelong learning

Industry & business: SMEs and large corporates, cluster initiatives,

representative bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce

Public administration and public bodies and facilities

The community and voluntary sector: Local societies, social action

groups

Cultural, tourism and leisure institutions:

gastronomy, the hospitality industry, sports

Arts

organizations,

While the 10 domain headings generally speak for themselves one would
look for a strong showing in the following qualities: motivation, tenacity,
awareness, clarity of communication, broad thinking, inspiration,
aspiration, adaptability, dynamism, openness, participation, design
awareness, sensory appreciation, professional pride, leadership, vision.

The political & public framework

A creative place has a political and public framework that combines a
sense of purpose and ethics with a desire to get things done. It is
relatively transparent and accessible to the population it serves. The
bureaucracy is light, lean, and responsive, adapting itself to changing
circumstances as required. Citizens are able to interact with and navigate
it in a relatively simple way: the ethos of the bureaucracy is to be
enabling and facilitating thereby removing barriers wherever possible.
Rather than centralising power and decision making it tends to devolve,
allowing easy entry points for interested participants. Its thinking is
strategic, it is in tune with the interests of its constituencies, and its taskoriented approach encourages cross-departmental working which is
carried out with energy and passion. It fosters a healthy voluntary and
community sector, which itself imaginatively responds to social, cultural
and economic issues. It has good links with business, and recognises the
benefit of and so fosters communication across all sectors. It is good at
attracting and retaining quality staff who are motivated more by achieving
excellent work rather than by job security. The public sector does not
impose greater restrictions on employment than any other sector.
Comment: Mission statement of Ghent: "Ghent, a creating city, a pioneer
in the development of a sustainable, solidarity and open city by uniting all
creative forces." This is a strong public statement of intent and the city
has developed a process to identify and harness these forces. There is a
comprehensive view of creativity and its applications in relation also to
health, education and others spheres beyond artistic creativity.
Within the city organisation there is a strong tendency towards an
integrated way of working: looking for cross links and cooperation,
catching up with this same tendency in the society in Ghent. On the other
hand, sectoral approaches, both in the city organisation and in the civil
society, are strong and persistent. There is still more change needed in
order to become a bureaucracy nd a society that is really light and lean.
Ghent, creating a city is a strategic programme related to the mission
statement. The ambition of this programme is to gather all creative forces
in Ghent and to encourage them to undertake actions that will help the
city realizing the mission statement by 2020 with the city government
acting as director and facilitator bringing people from different
professional backgrounds together, in order to nourish innovative ideas

and

solutions

for

the

complex

challenges

of

the

city.

Distinctiveness, diversity, vitality & expression

A creative place has a clear identity which results from the dynamism of
its culture. Its citizens have a relaxed self-confidence in their attitudes
and values, even pride in their well-known products, their cultural and
other public facilities and resources, and particularly the specialisms
developed there. This self-assurance encourages receptiveness and
openness: this is a culture which has evolved by absorbing and melding
influences over a long period of time, rich and inclusive and able to
accommodate a diversity of cultural perspectives. Built on a deep heritage
but without retrenching into the past, it is vibrant, vital and unique. As a
result there is a great variety of experiences, choices and opportunities,
and many channels for people to express themselves.
The mainstream and the counterculture, high art and the fringe, popular
culture and the classical, the professional and the amateur, these
oppositional forces mix healthily in this exciting and resonant atmosphere.
There are myriad meeting places or venues from the intimate to the large
within which thrives an accessible culture of critical thinking and debate,
which comfortably and maturely accommodates differing viewpoints.
There is always something new to do and old to return to there is a
wealth of activity in the arts, a variety of festivals, and many sporting and
civic events. Also its science, heritage, gastronomy, attractions, parks and
even its relationship with its natural environment all add to its vigour. It is
a good environment in which the creative industries flourish, being
design-aware and plugged in. Even the high street expresses individuality
with its independent shops and quirky offerings and outlets for its local
products, and there are specific local channels of communication.
Comment: Ghent believes itself to be creative. A very recent example is
the new city museum STAM which builds in a very innovative and
creative way on the heritage of the city. This belief can be positive in
that it gives self-assurance and confidence. Yet it also has a flipside in
that it can lead to complacency. In addition it appears that very few
people have a overview of the widely differing areas of creativity which
may not be able to connect. This reduces the scope of possible creative
expression. On the other hand given Ghents history its physical fabric is
clearly distinctive.

Openness, tolerance, trust & accessibility

A creative place is open minded and welcoming and as a result many
people from a diversity of backgrounds have made it their home. This
atmosphere of openness pervades the way public institutions, the
business environment and civil society operates - there is openness in the
public, private and community/voluntary sectors, as well as an openness
of public space. This creates an enabling environment where opportunities
are facilitated and consequently it is easier to get projects going, to follow

things through and to transact. It is a gateway to and from the world, it is

well connected. Many locals work abroad and vice versa, but to all this
place remains their home. This openness has produced greater
understanding of differences and created an inter-cultural dialogue which
helps it to remain in the vanguard of latest developments. This attitude is
echoed in the inviting way facilities work.
Comment: At first sight Ghent would appear to be open given its large
student population and continual flow of incomers. However in discussions
on taking the Ghent creativity agenda forward it was clear that the
different sectors, from economics, to social affairs to the arts, speak
different languages. This can reduce cross-sectors links.

Entrepreneurship, exploration & innovation

A creative place is one where entrepreneurs feel very much at home. They
have social recognition. Here is a place where an idea can become reality
quite quickly. It is a place where you can make mistakes and you are not
too severely judged. There are extensive support systems from advice to
access to funding and risk capital. There is a higher than average level of
innovation and R&D and the place has a reputation for its design-led
distinctive products and services. There is a business and industry culture
that respects experimentation and investigation and this is valued by the
community at large. The creative industries play a significant role.
Comment: There is a sense that Ghent is entrepreneurial. The city
supports entrepreneurship through several projects and campaigns and
we see quite some independent entrepreneurship as well. Both the
university and businesses play an important role in the field of R&D. But
does Ghent really have an entrepreneurial culture in the sense of
tolerance towards experiments, and potential mistakes? How does Ghent
value the creative industry? How entrepreneurial is Ghent in relation to
social matters or in terms of the arts?

Strategic leadership, agility & vision

A creative place has many leaders and many levels of leadership. There
are dynamic and forward looking people of quality in every sector
providing a strong sense of vision for the place, meaning that there is
deep awareness of current trends and emerging developments and their
implications. Their style is noticeably inspiring, able to delegate and be
empowering to others. They are accessible. These leaders describe an
achievable yet ambitious future that acts as a compelling and involving
story, which could be a vision for the city or region, or a business venture
or educational programme.
Their thinking is strategic: they are looking at the future in the broadest
terms and see the planning process as continuous and intrinsic. They
exhibit foresight and awareness beyond the confines of their own field and
are conscious that they are helping to future-proof their place. They
understand the broader context and how they fit in, working with other

leaders creating motivated partnerships. They ensure that there are good
mechanisms to gather information on best practices and innovative
solutions from around the globe, such as research centres, think tanks
and collaborative devices such as clusters networks, specialist hubs or
technology parks. They are strategically agile knowing when and how to
seize opportunities, for which they have already created a state of
preparedness.
The decision making communities in public and private walks of life have a
forward focus, whether they are teachers, public servants, transports
chiefs, middle and higher management in industry and business, or
community organisers or those in the artistic world. They are always alert
and scan the horizon in their respective sectors, actively looking out for
the next important thing in their respective domains for example, at the
present time there is likely to a significant involvement in things green.
Their pride in place helps them to share a common agenda.
Comment: There clearly are areas of leadership in the city but do they
have a budget to follow them? Furthermore is there agility in trying to
implement these strategies as things change in the process of carrying out
the work? Are all sectors displaying leadership and how flexible are the
key players in finding joint solutions to problems or identifying
opportunities? The creativity agenda has seemed a bit vague to some in
Ghent and the city has shown agility in adapting the programme to
specific targets, such as how can poor kids eat more healthily, what can
people do themselves to reduce C02 emissions, but still it seems hard to
translate targets into actions.

Talent development & learning landscape

A creative place values learning and knowledge. All talents are nurtured,
fostered, promoted, rewarded and celebrated. There is a diversity of
learning options, this enables people to find their right vocation and
metier. There are ladders of opportunity that help take people from one
level to the next. There are both places that teach the core skills as well
as centres of excellence that are globally recognized. There is professional
pride in teaching and lecturing and this is infectious. Learning is
prestigious. The education institutions strive to be the best in their field
and they are connected internationally. The modern and constantly
evolving curriculum is in tune with the needs of business and is aware of
global trends providing qualified people in the required areas of
specialisation and also providing skills training in specialisations which are
as yet in their infancy. This system is excellent at growing and retaining
talent locally, and there is a two way flow which places that talent abroad
when appropriate and brings other abilities in as needed.
Comment: Clearly Ghent has a comprehensive learning infrastructure.
However, to be a creative place it needs to be a learning city where
people are learning and relearning as they pursue their careers. How well
does the city score in this regard? Ghent is a city of 240 000 citizens and

65 000 students. What is the impact of the University, university colleges

and this large amount of students on a medium sized city?

Communication, connectivity & networking

A creative place is well connected internally and externally, physically and
virtually. It is easy to get around, it is walkable, places are accessible and
communities are less ghettoized enabling chance encounter. Social
mobility is more possible. There are high quality public transport systems.
They offer much more than merely radial connections so linking its various
parts. The place and population is wired and happy using the sophisticated
IT and communications infrastructure. It travels at home and abroad
taking advantage of the excellent rail and air services which make a
gateway for receiving outsiders. Speaking foreign languages is common
place. Business to business and cross-sectoral links work well, there are
clusters, hubs, focal points and knowledge exchanges. Full advantage is
taken of the natural location in communicating and conducting trade. The
place is outward looking and makes contact at all levels abroad, creating
joint ventures, research projects, product development and civic
partnerships.
Comment: Clearly Ghent is physically well connected and nearby Brussels
provides also a global gateway. What about connections between sectors
in the city? Do they operate as silos, do they bring together joint insights,
do they undertake collaborative projects say between science and the arts
or business and social issues?

The place & placemaking

A creative place, as any other place, is made up of hard and soft
elements. Here, however, both mesh well with each other, the one
encouraging the other. The hardware, or built environment including the
public realm and architecture in general is human centric and sensitively
conceived and implemented: one is aware of the positive emotional effect
of the buildings upon people. Human interaction and activity is
encouraged by this physical environment rather than being blocked by
physical barriers. It acknowledges and respects and blends well with its
natural environment, its surrounding landscape, and its green areas and is
aware and responsible regarding its ecological footprint. There is attention
to detail and the small things are done well, seamlessly creating a
streetscape in which the software (the human activity) creates a real buzz
and genuinely reflects the distinctiveness of the place. When you are
there you want to be there but its reputation drew you there in the first
place it has a critical mass and a magnetism which enables it to
compete well with other places which have similar mass and attraction.
Comment: Ghent is a beautiful urban construct. What about how it is
evolving? Are the new developments meeting the same standards as your
heritage. Are you building tomorrows heritage today?

Liveability & well-being

A creative place has an exceptional quality of life. GDP is high and
services work well and are of a high standard. People are generally happy
to live and/or work here, appreciating the low levels of crime and violence
and feeling generally safe. There is a good atmosphere and people help
each other more willingly. While class barriers of course exist, there is less
ghettoizing and the poverty gap is narrower than elsewhere. People enjoy
the connectivity, accessibility and openness, the facilities and activities on
offer, the first-rate transport and communications. The civic leadership is
mostly respected and trusted.
Comment: Ghent is clearly quite liveable, but are there gaps?
Is this liveability guaranteed for the future? What about the growing
number of people living in poverty? What about the growing number of
migrants from Eastern Europe in search for well-being and protection?

Professionalism & effectiveness

The creative place works well, things happen and are achieved. There is
pride in being professional and doing things with quality. Standards are
high and benchmarks are frequently set here. Companies, organisations,
individuals and products are often given awards. This is a centre of
expertise in a range of specific areas attributes such as reliability,
punctuality, efficiency or accuracy are highly respected. Professionals are
confident in their own ability and not afraid to work in partnership with
others and to delegate authority, breaking with conventional rules of
hierarchy.
Comment: Does Ghent walk the talk on what it says it wants to do? Is
the city known for delivering on promises? What about the private or
community sectors?

10