Cultural Clusters Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This contribution aims to present a brief summary of a long research based on the events of the last decades in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This article follows a path that seeks primarily to understand the use of cultural and artistic... more

This contribution aims to present a brief summary of a long research based on the events of the last decades in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This article follows a path that seeks primarily to understand the use of cultural and artistic devices as tools for a complex process of changes and perspectives in the city. These changes are driven by the fact that the city of Rio has hosted two mega-events, the FIFA World Cup (2014) and the Olympics (2016), with a strong impact on the central and/or tourist areas of the city. The port area stands out as the main field of this research, from the idea of an abandoned area to the center of a cultural hub, with drastic visual, structural, and symbolic changes, with the building of Museu de Arte do Rio (Rio Museum of Art), and Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), as the main examples. A retrospective of the political life of the city, including the one of its municipal administrations, builds the idea that the instrumentalization of art and its use as a tool to "revitalize" areas of the city is part of an old project which was waiting for the right moment to be put into practice: the hosting of mega events. On the other hand, small autonomous cultural collectives have emerged in the region during this process and inserted new concepts and meanings for the use of art into the discussion, which resulted in a more complex discussion around the port area and its agents. Finally, by analyzing the recent political scenario of the city, it was possible to perceive the offensive posture toward cultural institutions resulting from conservative political perspectives, which again redefines the use of art and culture in the city.

In the post-Fordist economy, culture has become an important resource for cities to compete at the regional and international levels. Thus, local elites have used culture as an instrument of urban regeneration and these processes... more

In the post-Fordist economy, culture has become an important resource for cities to compete at the regional and international levels. Thus, local elites have used culture as an instrument of urban regeneration and these processes increasingly seek to promote urban branding. Moreover, culture is seen as a way to generate narratives that help cities avoid the perception of standardisation, characterise cities as a unique urban space and create authenticity, which are necessary elements if a city is to be globally competitive. The case of Central Barcelona and, specifically, the Raval district is exemplary and singular: the joint action of the cultural institutions and representatives of the cultural sector based in the neighbourhood have turned the Raval into an brand space of “authentic Barcelona” that makes the official, tourist-frequented Barcelona more rich and complex.

"Destinations across the world are beginning to replace or supplement culture-led development strategies with creative development. This book critically analyzes the impact and effectiveness of creative strategies in tourism development... more

"Destinations across the world are beginning to replace or supplement culture-led development strategies with creative development. This book critically analyzes the impact and effectiveness of creative strategies in tourism development and charts the emergence of 'creative tourism'. Why has 'creativity' become such an important aspect of development strategies and of tourism development in particular? Why is this happening now, apparently simultaneously, in so many destinations across the globe? What is the difference between cultural tourism and creative tourism? These are among the important questions this book answers.It critically examines the developing relationship between tourism and creativity, the articulation of the 'creative turn' in tourism, and the impact this has on theoretical perspectives and practical approaches to tourism development. A wide range of examples from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa explore the interface between tourism and creativity including:creative spaces and places such as cultural and creative clusters and ethnic precincts; the role of the creative industries and entrepreneurs in the creation of experiences; creativity and rural areas; the 'creative class' and tourism; lifestyle, creativity and tourism and marketing creative tourism destinations. The relationship between individual and collective forms of creativity and the widely differing forms of modern tourism are also discussed. In the concluding section of the book the contribution of creativity to tourism and to development strategies in general is assessed, and areas for future research are outlined.The diverse multidisciplinary contributions link theory and practice, and demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of creativity as a tourism development strategy and marketing tool. It is the first exploration of the relationship between tourism and creativity and its consequences for tourism development in different parts of the world."

Après avoir synthétisé les travaux en économie et en géographie portant sur les clusters culturels, nous soulignons la diversité des démarches de catégorisation et la multiplicité des cadres analytiques conçus pour témoigner de la... more

Après avoir synthétisé les travaux en économie et en géographie portant sur les clusters culturels, nous soulignons la diversité des démarches de catégorisation et la multiplicité des cadres analytiques conçus pour témoigner de la réalité multiforme des clusters. Nous rendons ensuite compte des travaux critiques vis-a-vis de l’efficacité des politiques de clusters, avant proposer une nouvelle approche pour aborder le concept de cluster « en action ».

Sanatçılar, yaratma sürecinde, sanat üretmek ve sergilemek için gereken kent mekânının doğuşuna ve biçimlenmesine önayak olurlar. Mekânı şekillendiren aktörler olarak gereksinimleri doğrultusunda birlikte hareket ederler. Böylece, bir... more

Sanatçılar, yaratma sürecinde, sanat üretmek ve sergilemek için gereken kent mekânının doğuşuna ve biçimlenmesine önayak olurlar. Mekânı şekillendiren aktörler olarak gereksinimleri doğrultusunda birlikte hareket ederler. Böylece, bir sanat semtinde ilişkilerin ‘yerleştiği’ bir çevre oluşur; tek defaya özgü, kentsel ve mekânsal bir dönüşüm gerçekleşir. Bu dönüşüm, “yaratıcı küme” kavramı üzerinden okunabilir. Yaratıcı kümelerin temel özelliği kültürel ve sanatsal eylemleri tasarımından üretimine, sergilenmesinden tüketimine kadar barındırmalarıdır. Bu nedenle, mekânsal olarak farklı biçimler alırlar. Tek yapı, yapılar topluluğu, bir mahalle bütünü ya da üretim/ dağıtım yerleri ağı şeklinde oluşabilirler. Kümelerin büyük bir bölümü, planlamacıların bilgisi dışında kendiliğinden ortaya çıkarlar. Çoğunlukla ilk işlevini kaybetmiş, ‘yenilenmeyi’ bekleyen bölgelerde oluşurlar. Tarihsel süreklilik arz eden Galata semtinde kümelerin oluştuğu alan ‘herhangi bir yer’ değildir. Yüzyıllar boyu, ticari, barınma vb. işlevlere ev sahipliği yapmış çok katmanlı bir çevredir. Bu çalışmada, buradaki yaratıcı kümelerin, neoliberal küreselleşme politikalarının tetikledigi mevcut kentsel ve mekânsal dönüsüme olumlu ve olumsuz etkileri irdelenmeye çalışılacaktır.

No se puede considerar la urbanización del capitalismo en los últimos tiempos sin reconocer el papel icónico que en ella ha jugado el alzamiento de grandes instalaciones culturales: museos de arte contemporáno, centros de cultura,... more

No se puede considerar la urbanización del capitalismo en los últimos tiempos sin reconocer el papel icónico que en ella ha jugado el alzamiento de grandes instalaciones culturales: museos de arte contemporáno, centros de cultura, teatros, auditorios o facultades universitarias… Muchas veces esto ocurre en forma de clústers, conglomerados de contenedores de creación y conocimiento –a veces presentados como «ciudades»– que tienen establecidas sinergias en orden a mejorar su competitividad territorial. Este tipo de instalaciones –auténticos dinosaurios comparados con su alrededor– se ve rápidamente cercado de residencias, locales de ocio y comercios destinados a un segmento social especializado. A esa clientela cultural se le han aplicado etiquetas como clase creativa, neobohemia, clase cultural, un universo de figurantes ideales para dar clima de distinción a barrios y ciudades que encuentran en su propia representación de excepcionalidad un recurso a disposición de un capital financiero internacional cada vez más interesado en invertir en espacio urbano.

This feature include three short essays I wrote for the ArtCo magazine in Taiwan to review the several art fairs and events in Hong Kong during the Art Basel month March 2015. The first comments on the Art Basel effect, that the market... more

This feature include three short essays I wrote for the ArtCo magazine in Taiwan to review the several art fairs and events in Hong Kong during the Art Basel month March 2015. The first comments on the Art Basel effect, that the market force has marginalized cultural institutions in the public sector. Culture cannot takes roots in the fast shifting cityscape and the open economy. The second reviews exhibitions at the Duddell's and Para Site that using politics as the catch phrase but with failing in challenging politic. The last one report about the dynamic of the two artist/ cultural districts, namely the Fotanian and the Island South Cultural district.

This paper analyses two cultural clusters, the Westergasfabriek (WGF) in Amsterdam and the Witte de Withstraat (WdW) in Rotterdam, and evaluates their contrasting creative management strategies. The WGF has to date been fairly successful... more

This paper analyses two cultural clusters, the Westergasfabriek (WGF) in Amsterdam and the Witte de Withstraat (WdW) in Rotterdam, and evaluates their contrasting creative management strategies. The WGF has to date been fairly successful in creating an attractive mix of different cultural activities, based on the creative potential of the buildings on the site, its image as a cultural centre and the general atmosphere of creativity. The more ‘top–down’ approach of the Local Authority owned but commercially managed WFG has injected new commercial skills and investment into the cluster, and creates the conditions for innovation through managing the mix of creative functions. The WdW, on the other hand, takes a more ‘bottom–up’ approach to the problems of cultural management, and so far the participants have resisted the imposition of formal management. This may allow cultural and commercial functions to co–exist more easily, but, thus far, there seems to be less evidence of innovation.

Analysing the territorial dynamics of culture, particularly its tendency to form clusters, has become a study area that draws the attention of various social science disciplines. It has grown steadily in importance over the last twenty... more

Analysing the territorial dynamics of culture, particularly its tendency to form clusters, has become a study area that draws the attention of various social science disciplines. It has grown steadily in importance over the last twenty years alongside the increasing interest in creative industries and cultural institutions as factors in socio-economic development and urban regeneration. Most of today's literature on the subject takes cultural clusters as a single type and focuses on aspects linked to their urban planning or economic impact. However, there is a growing awareness of the importance of the social dimension of cultural clusters. This paper aims to differentiate between various cultural clusters in the city of Barcelona by constructing models or types of cluster taking into account the predominant interaction dynamics and the type of social ties generated between the cultural agents participating in these groupings. Following these criteria we distinguish three types of cultural cluster according to whether a bureaucratic, associative or community dynamic predominates. These social dynamics enable us to understand the success or failure of a cluster policy.

El análisis de las causas de la concentración de los artistas en las grandes ciudades ha ido ganando centralidad en los ámbitos académicos en la medida en que se ha destacado su importancia para la economía de las industrias creativas... more

El análisis de las causas de la concentración de los artistas en las grandes ciudades ha ido ganando centralidad en los ámbitos académicos en la medida en que se ha destacado su importancia para la economía de las industrias creativas locales y para la atracción de la llamada clase creativa. Los estudios sobre este fenómeno generalmente se basan en las teorías de la clusterización económica, las cuales sólo toman en consideración los factores infraestructurales de localización. A pesar de que de forma creciente se ha criticado este enfoque y se ha reivindicado la importancia de considerar las interacciones sociales, las contribuciones de la sociología de las profesiones artísticas o de la sociología urbana han sido en gran medida ignoradas. Retomando los resultados de estas perspectivas sociológicas y a partir del ejemplo de la profesión artística en Barcelona el artículo propondrá construir un enfoque más plurdimensional del objeto de estudio. Los resultados plantean la importancia de adoptar una perspectiva más crítica respecto al fenómeno de la aglomeración artística, como un fenómeno funcional en la economía postfordista y una expresión del capitalismo flexible y precario del que los barrios de artistas pueden ser una expresión avanzada.

En los últimos veinte años ha ido creciendo en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales el interés por el análisis de la dinámica territorial de la cultura y en particular su tendencia a la clusterización. La mayor parte de la literatura sobre... more

En los últimos veinte años ha ido creciendo en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales el interés por el análisis de la dinámica territorial de la cultura y en particular su tendencia a la clusterización. La mayor parte de la literatura sobre el tema analiza los clústeres culturales entendiéndolos como un solo tipo y desde la dimensión de la planificación urbana o los impactos económicos. No obstante, cada vez se toma más consciencia de la importancia de la naturaleza de la actividad y de las dinámicas de interacción sociales de los clústeres culturales. Un análisis a fondo de estas dos dimensiones nos revela que es necesario distinguir entre cuatro tipos de clústeres: clústeres de industrias culturales, agrupaciones de instituciones culturales, distritos culturales y escenas artísticas. El presente artículo mostrará cómo esta tipología nos permite distinguir entre las diferentes dinámicas de clusterización cultural presentes en la ciudad de Barcelona y, de este modo, comprender porque algunas dinámicas de clusterización resultan más creativas en términos culturales.

El análisis de las causas de la concentración de los artistas en las grandes ciudades ha ido ganando centralidad en los ámbitos académicos en la medida en que se ha destacado su importancia para la economía de las industrias creativas... more

El análisis de las causas de la concentración de los artistas en las grandes ciudades ha ido ganando centralidad en los ámbitos académicos en la medida en que se ha destacado su importancia para la economía de las industrias creativas locales y para la atracción de la llamada clase creativa. Los estudios sobre este fenómeno generalmente se basan en las teorías de la clusterización económica, las cuales sólo toman en consideración los factores infraestructurales de localización. A pesar de que de forma creciente se ha criticado este enfoque y se ha reivindicado la importancia de considerar las interacciones sociales, las contribuciones de la sociología de las profesiones artísticas o de la sociología urbana han sido en gran medida ignoradas. Retomando los resultados de estas perspectivas sociológicas y a partir del ejemplo de la profesión artística en Barcelona el artículo propondrá construir un enfoque más plurdimensional del objeto de estudio. Los resultados plantean la importancia de adoptar una perspectiva más crítica respecto al fenómeno de la aglomeración artística, como un fenómeno funcional en la economía postfordista y una expresión del capitalismo flexible y precario del que los barrios de artistas pueden ser una expresión avanzada.

Cultural quarters concentrate and embed cultural and artistic activities, services, and networks in place, yet they are neither singular nor discrete entities. Within cities, cultural quarters exist in multiple temporal and spatial... more

Cultural quarters concentrate and embed cultural and artistic activities, services, and networks in place, yet they are neither singular nor discrete entities. Within cities, cultural quarters exist in multiple temporal and spatial relations. Building on our existing work on thepolitical, organizational, social, ephemeral, and spatial forms of embeddedness of cultural quarters (POSES Star Framework), this paper focuses on temporal embeddedness. It argues that a temporally-sensitive analysis of cultural quarter embeddedness, and the transposition of developmental psychology notions of generationing and birth order, can advance urban geographical understandings of the interdependencies of sites of cultural production and consumption within cities. A comparative study of four proximate German cultural quarters in former industrial sites in West Leipzig – Baumwollspinnerei, Tapetenwerk, Westwerk, and Kunstkraftwerk – illustrates how generationing showcases cultural quarters as relational places.

Across the globe, the transformative powers of cultural districts have been widely noted, particularly with respect to how they add value to the lives of individuals and to society as a whole. Yet the ways in which cultural districts... more

Across the globe, the transformative powers of cultural districts have been widely noted, particularly with respect to how they add value to the lives of individuals and to society as a whole. Yet the ways in which cultural districts deliver and evaluate their social impact have yet to be fully explored. Importantly, there is a stark absence of rigorous methodologies and assessment frameworks to assist cultural districts in articulating, planning, delivering, and evaluating their social value proposition. Based on findings from a follow-up study to our 2019 report on Social Impact, untimely terminated due to Covid-19, this publication by the Global Cultural Districts Network highlights there is much to be learned about the social impact of cultural districts.

The tendency of artists and creative professionals , ranging from non-profit and for-profit firms, individual artists, and cultural participants, to cluster in a specific area is observed and discussed in a large body of literature.... more

The tendency of artists and creative professionals , ranging from non-profit and for-profit firms, individual artists, and cultural participants, to cluster in a specific area is observed and discussed in a large body of literature. However, the ways these districts are internally organised has received much less attention. In Ljubljana, one can find five different arts districts that emerged via grassroots and top-down planning approaches. The article explores their community through the concepts of self-governance, social inclusion, and the right to the city. Our examination of the collective activities in these districts shows that the naturally-occurring districts reflect a spatial political agenda. Those active in such areas are resistant to heteronomy, formal regulation and hierarchy while being engaged in activism, social justice advocacy and artistic self-expression. In contrast, a city designation allows less freedom in management and organisation of the space and does not conflict with authorities over control of the land. While both district types reveal a strong desire to constantly change and produce novelty, the naturally-occurring districts are evolving at a faster pace. The article highlights the value of self-organisation and informal networks in the construction and development of arts districts.

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term... more

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term period that began around 1986, characterized by a high public investment (supported partially by European funds) in basic infrastructures and equipments. On the other hand, the need for housing modernization in some important parts of the Portuguese territory, determined a flow of private investment to the civil construction activity. Currently, this cycle is coming to an end, due to two main factors: a) Portugal presents an already reasonable endowment in infrastructures and public equipments. This way, future needs should be related with maintenance and not with major construction works. b) As a direct consequence of the massive investment in the construction sector, today Portugal has one the highest rates of housing private possession (over 75%) in the EU. Thus, the sustainability of this important economic sector is naturally raised. In particular, social issues must not be disregarded as most of this sector workforce is constituted by young and middle age men. The paper envisages evaluating some possibilities of a new dynamic in the construction sector. Among those possibilities, the investment in Cultural and Patrimony Economic Poles appears as an interesting way to push the construction sector into a new stage of development. In other European Countries (France, UK, Spain, Italy) this strategy has known an interesting success, by inducing important improvement works, using traditional knowledge, methods and techniques. On the other hand, the investment in patrimonial resources also induces positive effects in sectors such as tourism and handicraft and promotes gains in job offers related with the environment management and quality of life. This strategy should allow maximizing relevant investments to be made in Public Monuments, Churches, Monasteries and other patrimonial elements. But to guarantee the profitability of these investments, a huge international campaign of territorial marketing is needed: the benefits of owning a “Portuguese house” must be publicized exhaustively, at world level. The paper also includes a first identification of possible pilot cases where these policies could be implemented with success (for instance Amarante and Tavira councils). Some possible suggestions to improve these strategies will also be under discussion. Keywords: Patrimony; civil construction; territorial marketing; cultural clusters.

This article focuses on Barcelona’s art market to explore the underlying factors behind the clustering of art dealers in several of the city’s districts. Drawing upon quantitative and qualitative data, the article analyses how such... more

This article focuses on Barcelona’s art market to explore the underlying factors behind the clustering of art dealers in several of the city’s districts. Drawing upon quantitative and qualitative data, the article analyses how such clustering reveals a strategic action in the sense attributed to it by Crozier and Friedberg (1981). Gallery districts are not a reflection of structural factors (economic, urban development-related or social) but the result of a combination of strategic choices – either individual or collective – which explain the permanence of leading gallery districts or the emergence of new ones.

In this paper we intend to contribute to the body of research on creative clusters by moving on from the policy level that dominates the discourse on cultural clusters, and purposely addressing how the actors involved in cultural/creative... more

In this paper we intend to contribute to the body of research on creative clusters by moving on from the policy level that dominates the discourse on cultural clusters, and purposely addressing how the actors involved in cultural/creative activities in an area of dense concentration of cultural and industrial production actually start, run, and develop their business. In other words, we explore the actual practices of cultural entrepreneurship in such a context, starting from a set of concrete experiences, unpacking processes, and reconstructing the actors’ underlying theories-in-use.

This book examines China’s creative economy—and how television, animation, advertising, design, publishing and digital games are reshaping traditional understanding of culture. Since the 1950s China has endeavoured to catch-up with... more

This book examines China’s creative economy—and how television, animation, advertising, design, publishing and digital games are reshaping traditional understanding of culture. Since the 1950s China has endeavoured to catch-up with advanced Western economies. ‘Made in China’ is one approach to global competitiveness. But a focus on manufacturing and productivity is impeding innovation. China imports creativity and worries about its ‘cultural exports deficit’. In the cultural sector Chinese audiences are attracted to Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese culture, as well as Hollywood cinema. This book provides a fresh look looks at China’s move up the global value chain. It argues that while government and (most) citizens would prefer to associate with the nationalistic, but unrealized ‘created in China’ brand, widespread structural reforms are necessary to release creative potential. Innovation policy in China has recently acknowledged these problems. It considers how new ways of managing cultural assets can renovate largely non-competitive Chinese cultural industries. Together with a history of cultural commerce in China, the book details developments in new creative industries and provides the international context for creative cluster policy in Beijing and Shanghai.

O objectivo principal da presente comunicação é avaliar o potencial de uma nova dinâmica na construção civil (que atravessa uma prolongada crise traduzida na diminuição das taxas de crescimento sectorial), assente no investimento em Pólos... more

O objectivo principal da presente comunicação é avaliar o potencial de uma nova dinâmica na construção civil (que atravessa uma prolongada crise traduzida na diminuição das taxas de crescimento sectorial), assente no investimento em Pólos de Economia do Património. Esta estratégia tem conhecido um sucesso assinalável em vários Estados-Membros, permitindo a qualificação patrimonial através do recurso a saberes, métodos, instrumentos e técnicas tradicionais. A valorização dos recursos patrimoniais tem ainda efeitos de arrastamento em sectores como o turismo, produções tradicionais de qualidade elevada, artesanato, outros saberes tradicionais, empregos ligados à melhoria do ambiente e da qualidade de vida. Esta aposta permitirá rentabilizar investimentos significativos realizados em igrejas, casas
senhoriais ou monumentos públicos. A comunicação apresentará propostas para a promoção e desenvolvimento da estratégia de valorização do património e aproveitamento da capacidade instalada ao nível da construção civil.

O sector da construção civil apresenta um peso significativo na economia portuguesa (8,9% do emprego, em 2004), em particular nas regiões do interior. Esta especificidade da estrutura produtiva decorre de um longo período de investimentos... more

O sector da construção civil apresenta um peso significativo na economia portuguesa (8,9% do emprego, em 2004), em particular nas regiões do interior. Esta especificidade da estrutura produtiva decorre de um longo período de investimentos públicos, com início aproximado em 1986, pautado por elevados investimentos públicos (apoiados por Fundos Estruturais) na construção de infra-estruturas e equipamentos, bem como do importante fluxo de investimento privado para o sector da construção civil determinado pela carência de habitação moderna, nalgumas parcelas do território, à data da adesão da então CEE. Assiste-se hoje ao culminar do ciclo das grandes obras, sendo esta evolução indissociável de dois factores: o território nacional apresenta uma razoável dotação em infra-estruturas e equipamentos públicos, pelo que se considera que a resposta às necessidades futuras jogar-se-á, essencialmente, no campo da sua manutenção e não das novas construções; Portugal detém uma das mais altas taxas de habitação própria (superior a 75%) da União Europeia. Desta forma, colocam-se algumas questões sobre a sustentabilidade do sector da construção civil.
A comunicação teve como principal objectivo avaliar o potencial de uma nova dinâmica na construção civil em Portugal, assente no investimento em Pólos de Economia do Património. Esta estratégia tem conhecido um sucesso assinalável em vários Estados-Membros (e.g. França, Reino Unido, Espanha, Itália), permitindo a qualificação patrimonial através do recurso a saberes, métodos, instrumentos e técnicas tradicionais. Apresenta-se ainda uma primeira selecção de possíveis “casos de estudo”, onde estas políticas poderão ser aplicadas com maior sucesso (e.g. Ponte da Barca, Amarante, Marco de Canavezes, Lagos e Tavira). São também avançadas propostas para a promoção e desenvolvimento destas estratégias.

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term... more

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term period that began around 1986, characterized by a high public investment (supported partially by European funds) in basic infrastructures and equipments. On the other hand, the need for housing modernization in some important parts of the Portuguese territory, determined a flow of private investment to the civil construction activity. Currently, this cycle is coming to an end, due to two main factors: a) Portugal presents an already reasonable endowment in infrastructures and public equipments. This way, future needs should be related with maintenance and not with major construction works. b) As a direct consequence of the massive investment in the construction sector, today Portugal has one the highest rates of housing private possession (over 75%) in the EU. Thus, the sustainability of this important economic sector is naturally raised. In particular, social issues must not be disregarded as most of this sector workforce is constituted by young and middle age men. The paper envisages evaluating some possibilities of a new dynamic in the construction sector. Among those possibilities, the investment in Cultural and Patrimony Economic Poles appears as an interesting way to push the construction sector into a new stage of development. In other European Countries (France, UK, Spain, Italy) this strategy has known an interesting success, by inducing important improvement works, using traditional knowledge, methods and techniques. On the other hand, the investment in patrimonial resources also induces positive effects in sectors such as tourism and handicraft and promotes gains in job offers related with the environment management and quality of life. This strategy should allow maximizing relevant investments to be made in Public Monuments, Churches, Monasteries and other patrimonial elements. But to guarantee the profitability of these investments, a huge international campaign of territorial marketing is needed: the benefits of owning a “Portuguese house” must be publicized exhaustively, at world level. The paper also includes a first identification of possible pilot cases where these policies could be implemented with success (for instance Amarante and Tavira councils). Some possible suggestions to improve these strategies will also be under discussion. Keywords: Patrimony; civil construction; territorial marketing; cultural clusters.

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term... more

The weight of civil construction in the Portuguese Economy is overwhelming (8,9% of total employment, in 2004), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure results from a long term period that began around 1986, characterized by a high public investment (supported partially by European funds) in basic infrastructures and equipments. On the other hand, the need for housing modernization in some important parts of the Portuguese territory, determined a flow of private investment to the civil construction activity. Currently, this cycle is coming to an end, due to two main factors: a) Portugal presents an already reasonable endowment in infrastructures and public equipments. This way, future needs should be related with maintenance and not with major construction works. b) As a direct consequence of the massive investment in the construction sector, today Portugal has one the highest rates of housing private possession (over 75%) in the EU. Thus, the sustainability of this important economic sector is naturally raised. In particular, social issues must not be disregarded as most of this sector workforce is constituted by young and middle age men. The paper envisages evaluating some possibilities of a new dynamic in the construction sector. Among those possibilities, the investment in Cultural and Patrimony Economic Poles appears as an interesting way to push the construction sector into a new stage of development. In other European Countries (France, UK, Spain, Italy) this strategy has known an interesting success, by inducing important improvement works, using traditional knowledge, methods and techniques. On the other hand, the investment in patrimonial resources also induces positive effects in sectors such as tourism and handicraft and promotes gains in job offers related with the environment management and quality of life. This strategy should allow maximizing relevant investments to be made in Public Monuments, Churches, Monasteries and other patrimonial elements. But to guarantee the profitability of these investments, a huge international campaign of territorial marketing is needed: the benefits of owning a “Portuguese house” must be publicized exhaustively, at world level. The paper also includes a first identification of possible pilot cases where these policies could be implemented with success (for instance Amarante and Tavira councils). Some possible suggestions to improve these strategies will also be under discussion. Keywords: Patrimony; civil construction; territorial marketing; cultural clusters.

Culture is a key word in the story of Italy. The richness of its cultural past together with the present and future potential of its creativity has given culture a central role in the agenda of public policies. As a new element in this... more

Culture is a key word in the story of Italy. The richness of its cultural past together with the present and future potential of its creativity has given culture a central role in the agenda of public policies. As a new element in this pattern, most recently the word 'culture' has been increasingly and explicitly combined with the word competitiveness. The relationship between the two words is mediated by the creative process and seems to evoke a new model of economic development based on the attempt to govern the economy through a careful use of culture as a key dimension. This connection looks at the territory as the context where cultural processes can be encouraged, and used to transform the economy. The declination of culture as an economic issue produced two main streams of research: a first one focusing on the creative cities and a second one more devoted to the question of cultural clusters. The paper is centered on the second one, and offers a critical review of the...

The weight of civil construction in Portuguese employment is overwhelming (10,8% in 2005), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure is a result of a long term period that started in... more

The weight of civil construction in Portuguese employment is overwhelming (10,8% in 2005), namely in the mainland inner regions. This peculiar trace of the Portuguese productive structure is a result of a long term period that started in 1986, during which heavy public investment (supported by European funds) in basic infrastructure and equipments was made. On the other hand, the need for housing sector modernization in some parts of the territory, determined a flow of private investment to the civil construction activity.
Currently, this cycle is coming to an end, due to two main factors:
a) Today Portugal presents a reasonable endowment in infrastructures and public equipments. This way, the future needs will be related with maintenance and not with major construction works;
b) As Portugal presents the highest rate of private housing property in the EU, is not envisageable a continuum growth in housing demand in the future
This way, one must question the conditions to sustain this important activity.
Our main goal in this paper is to evaluate some possibilities to create a new dynamic in the construction sector. Among those possibilities, the investment in Cultural and Patrimony Economic Poles appears as an interesting way to push the construction sector into a new stage of development. In other European Countries this strategy had known a remarkable success, by inducing important improvement works, using traditional knowledge, methods, tools and techniques.
The investment in patrimonial resources also induces positive effects in sectors such as tourism and handicraft and promotes gains in job offers related with environment management and quality of life. This strategy will allow to generate investments in Public Monuments, Churches, Monasteries and other patrimonial buildings.
The paper includes case study analysis, like Sintra and Ponte de Lima, where these policies have already been implemented. Some possible suggestions to improve these strategies are also discussed.

This paper analyses the development of China’s creative and cultural industries using the city of Shanghai as a case study. The authors argue that while the difficulty of applying a uniform policy to the whole of China has created... more

This paper analyses the development of China’s creative and cultural industries using the city of Shanghai as a case study. The authors argue that while the difficulty of applying a uniform policy to the whole of China has created ambiguities which creative workers can exploit for their own ends, the opportunities that these afford are more economic in orientation as creativity still takes place within the parameters laid down by the Chinese government.

In the article the author assumes that the idea of smart specialization can stimulate the development of cluster initiatives operating in the EU. In the first part, the author explains the essence of smart specialization concept. Then,... more

In the article the author assumes that the idea of smart specialization can stimulate the development of cluster initiatives operating in the EU. In the first part, the author explains the essence of smart specialization concept. Then, in the following sections, he describes the process of identifying smart specialization in EU regions and collates the smart specialization concept with of some economic theories, particularly with M. Porter’s theory of industrial clusters.