Page 6 - Social_Sustainability of Culture

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1.2 Creativity around the city

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which includes among its 17 goals a specific objective to
‘make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resiliente and sustainable’ and identifies culture and
creativity as one of the essential levers for action in this context, gives to the cities a crucial role in
promoting sustainable development focused on people and the respect of human rights. Culture and
creativity are important for the society, they bring innovation and new approaches, as well as cultural
industries, supporting creation, promoting citizen and cultural participation and approaching the
public sphere with a new perspective that public authorities, in cooperation with the private sector and civil
society, can make the difference and support a more sustainable urban development suited to the
practical needs of the local population. In 1988 David Yencken, a builder, businessman, academic and
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heritage practitioner in Australia, developed the concept of Creative Cities which has become a global
movement reflecting a new planning paradigm for cities. Yencken argues that while cities must be efficient
and fair, a creative city must also be one that is committed to fostering creativity among its citizens and to
providing emotionally satisfying places and experiences for them. The creative city when introduced, was
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seen as aspirational, a way to encourage open-mindedness and imagination implying a dramatic impact
on organizational culture. The creative city identifies, nurtures, attracts and sustains talent so it is able to
mobilize ideas, talents and creative organizations, it needs also soft infrastructure such as a highly skilled
and flexible labour force, dynamic thinkers, creators and implementers.
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1 https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/content/why-creativity-why-cities
2 https://www.futureleaders.com.au/book_chapters/pdf/Space-Place-Culture/David-Yencken.pdf
3 https://www.reading.ac.uk/PeBBu/state_of_art/urban_approaches/creative_city/creative_city.htm