The Creative Footprint

Overview and Methodology: The Creative Footprint 2018

It is now a fact that the majority of the world’s population now lives in

cities and developed urban centers, making humanity an urban species

for the first time in its history. This urbanization is growing at a rapid

pace, and now shaping civic policy in previously unforeseen ways. Over the last decade there has been a growing realization that affordable, central, well-connected creative spaces are essential to a city’s ongoing wellbeing and productivity. This realization has led to a gradual shift in policy focus; from traditional “top-down” approaches, where a city would adopt variations of “planner - provider - deliverer” models, to ones where civic policy reflects a more flexible role of “enabler - convener -catalyst - broker”. This latter approach also factors cultural imperatives alongside more traditional tenets; driven by social, economic and

environmental concerns. Urban policy strategies often look to embrace the concept of “the whole city”, where communities are actively encouraged to be part of a decision making process.