Research agenda

With three study visit programmes in Manchester, Melbourne, and Toronto, associated workshops with academics and practitioners, and creative documentation, the network brings together existing knowledge with new challenges for creative placemaking through scoping, discussion and debate.

The project has been prompted by new investment in the UK in cultural projects and assets through central government such as the Levelling Up funds and by the continuing use of creative and artistic ‘assets’ in cities such as Manchester as levers for inward investment, private development and the stimulation of creative and visitor economies.

Whilst Covid-19 put a break on these activities, comparative research and scoping work In Melbourne and Toronto reveals that cultural flagships and creative industries districts remain dominant policy models. These favour city centres and are associated with both positive and negative effects, whilst other lenses such as heritage, the rights to the city for indigenous communities, and digital technologies, bring further challenges to the conventions of the ‘creative city’ paradigm.

Research outputs