CREATIVE CITY NEWSLETTER: JANUARY 2003

ISSUE 7: TRANSITIONS

ISSUE IN FOCUS: Publication Guide
NEWS YOU CAN USE: The Blue Banana
CREATIVE CORNER: Seeking Support for Green Roofs
Creative Cities in the News
Articles of Interest
Upcoming Events


ISSUE IN FOCUS: CREATIVE CITY PUBLICATION GUIDE
page 2

From Amenities to Necessities

After our first gathering of Creative City participants in May 2001, we developed an initial outline for the Creative City research and public policy agenda and publications. The outline was based on the white paper by Leo Penne, "Creative City: Power for the New Economy" and on solicited feedback from participants regarding the issues they felt were most important to their future Creative City work. This initial work, focused on a framework of the five core issues of People, Place, Finance, Leadership, and Jobs was based on the use of amenities.

Through our work with participating Creative Cities gathering at White Oak and Louisville, it has become evident that "amenities" is no longer appropriate. In the New Economy, amenities have become necessities. Using amenities (now necessities) as our toolbox, we have found that the initial five overarching themes that carry the Creative City agenda are still of great significance. The themes are: People, Place, Finance, Leadership, and Jobs. We will continue to use these issues as a framework for our Creative City work and associated publications, but have expanded upon these important areas in response to participants’ ongoing agendas, the dialogue in Florida and in Louisville, and to continuing communication with experts in the field.

Under each thematic area, our participating cities are finding creative approaches to using their amenities to meet problems and opportunities in this new era of planning and community building. An essential component of our Creative City work is to publish a series of pieces that document our findings. This series of publications includes: an anthology of contemporary dialogue and commentary on Creative City issues; a how-to guide for the Creative City; an associated compilation of best practices from our participating cites/communities; and a concluding policy report documenting Partners’ findings on Creative Cities in the New Economy.

Partners for Livable Communities Product
Guide for the Creative City Project

The Creative City Anthology: Insights from the Field

Based on a year and a half of intensive research and interaction with Creative City participants and experts across the country, Partners developed an anthology of articles and short pieces that represent current dialogue and findings related to Creative City issues. This anthology represents more than a year’s worth of thought and research in the field. We maintain our Economics of Amenities/Necessities framework of five overarching issue areas, moving from the amenities to the necessities that carry through our Creative City agenda:

1. People
2. Place
3. Leadership
4. Jobs
5. Finance

Each of these themes, with subsections based on findings from the first year of the Creative City project, comprise one chapter of the anthology.

The pieces documented in the anthology were selected from Partners’ vast resource base of over 250 publications relating to improving the quality of life in communities across the country. The selection process involved an in depth analysis of current pieces within Partners’ library as well as though intensive internet research and communications with Partners’ associates. Each piece was carefully chosen to highlight examples and thoughts appearing throughout the first year and half of the Creative City project. Throughout the selection process, we attempted to find pieces that well documented the creative approaches and research currently underway as communities seek to become Creative Cities.

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