Potentials of the Creative industries and the creative city model in the realm of peripheral and shrinking cities

The development model of the creative city has been adopted by many major cities. An elementary part of adopting creative city strategies are strategies to foster the creative industries. Those policies have been discussed in the academic discourse since the 90ths (DIW 1992; Merkel 2008; Ebert, Kunzmann 2007; O’Connor 1997; Scott 2000) and actual practical policy implementations have been proposed by different projects funded by the European Union (e.g. the URBACT project Creative Clusters or the Interreg project Creative Cities). Yet reflecting on and recommendation of creative city strategies has been mainly focussed on metropolitan areas and major cities. Cities located in peripheral and shrinking regions have to suffer from the economic crisis in a wider extent than metropolitan areas. Shortfalls in centrality and infrastructural configuration might increase spatial disparities and decrease attractiveness of those regions and cities. They have to cope with the challenge to attract new businesses and develop new economic sectors as well as to prevent businesses from relocating. The model of the creative city might be a model they can adopt to counteract economic decline. In this paper the question for a successful strategy of fostering the creative industries in the context of the creative city model will be brought into the realm of peripheral and shrinking cities and regions. First the question will be addressed how and in which ways the creative industries in general as well as peripheral and shrinking cities are affected by the economic crisis. Then the special situation of creative industries in peripheral and shrinking cities will be considered. Finally we reflect on chances and risks of adopting a creative city model. For the discussion we will draw on empirical results and experiences in implementing creative policies from the Interreg IVb project “Urban Creative Poles” (UCP). An analysis of the CCI and the spatial situation of the cities has been part of the project. Implementing elements of a creative city policy is in ongoing process.