Systematizing Global and Regional Creativity

Abstract

Creativity is treasured from the natural sciences through the arts. But contexts transform how creativity works. This chapter explores links between creativity and economic development, creative cities, and civic engagement of citizens. It illustrates a framework for analysis which joins two past traditions. Democratic participation ideas come mostly from Alexis de Tocqueville, while innovation/Bohemian ideas driving the economy are largely inspired by Joseph Schumpeter and Jane Jacobs. New developments building on these core ideas are in the first two sections. Reconsideration of each tradition leads to partial integration of the two: participation joins innovation. This is the main theme on the third section; the buzz around arts and culture organizations can be critical to drive the new democratic politics and cutting edge economies. Buzz enters as a new resource, with new rules of the game. It does not dominate; it parallels other activities which continue. The fourth section shows how these patterns vary across distinct scenes, specifying 15 dimensions of scenes measured in 1000s of zip codes and other small areas from Korea to the USA to Spain.

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