champions of change

“New

Interpretations

of City and

Culture”

28 October 2009

Mairi Robertson

If you don’t move forward, you’re standing still, or worse

• We operate on the cutting edge of technology content provision, bringing business people, technologists and creative people together; bringing clarity, honesty and focus to the table– Our research and consulting arm is the knowledge hub around which

the rest of the business revolves– Our bespoke skills development and mentoring programme, nmp

Accelerate, is designed to help high growth digital media businesses achieve their commercial potential

– We help create highly distinctive Media Cities providing a physical focus for digital media and technology industry activities in the development and regeneration of cities

Structure

• Regeneration - the why

• Creative Industries - the how

• A victim of its own success - the issues

• Examples of where its worked – the successes

• Building a city from scratch – the future?

What is regeneration?

• “Regeneration is a set of activities that reverse economic, social and physical decline in areas where market forces will not do this without support from the Government.”

• Economic regeneration and opportunities brings social benefits

• Long term, sustainable growth

• Three measures of success: – Improving economic

performance– Create conditions for

business growth– Create places people

want to live

• UK Government commitment to regeneration- Predicted spend of £6.5b up to 2011

Role of Creative Industries- City Regeneration

• Creative industry growth in last 10 years across UK– Grown twice the rate of national economy– 2m people employed– £60b contribution to economy

• Use of Creative and Digital industries to aid regeneration:– E.g. Glasgow, The Northern Quarter in Manchester and the Jewellery Quarter in

Birmingham.– embraced the creative industries – eased transition from traditional manufacturing industries into a service based

economy

Creative and Digital Industries create a vibrant atmosphere and drive re-population

The victim of success

• Area becomes developed and desirable

• Cost of accommodation increases sharply

• Creative community dispersal

• Soho, London > Shoreditch

WASPs - Scotland

• Strategies to retain Creative organisations– Reward for loyalty? – Ownership incentive?

• Workshop and Artists Studio Provision Scotland (WASP)– Over 30 years old– One of Scotland largest Arts organisations– Raised over £15m with partner charity to redevelop studios

for artists– 17 locations in Scotland provides affordable space for 750

artists per year– Long and short term strategies to improve Arts community in

Scotland

Digital City - Middlesbrough

• Digital media, technology and creative cluster• Successful and on the way to being self-sustaining• Complete range of services & facilities • Made possible by a strong partnership between the

commercial and academic worlds

DigitalCity Business Boho Zone

Institute of Digital Innovation University of

Teesside

Creative Industries Precinct - Brisbane

• Dedicated to creative experimentation and commercial development in CI

• Interactive exhibition spaces, an experimental black-box theatre, a parade ground and outdoor terraces

• Strong links with Queensland University of Technology • Specialist business incubator and support

Hilversum Media Park

• Centre for Dutch radio and television - all the principal networks having their headquarters there

• Concentration of highly-skilled, innovative and creative activities– 4,500 employees – 180 companies– 150,000 m2 of business

floor area. – continued expansion

• Attracts 1,000-1,500 visitors a day including business visitors and tourists

• Museum, fitness facilities, and childcare with plans to develop a theme park, multiplex cinema, cafes and hotel

Seoul Digital Media City

• Home to digital media R&D firms; firms that create cultural material; companies whose core business benefits from digital media technologies; digital broadcasting centres; technology-oriented office space; and firms that either create or provide entertainment

• Schools, housing for the employees of international firms, moderate and lower-income housing, commercial and convention facilities, entertainment zones

• “Media Street” - living laboratory environment

The challenges facing new media cities

• Often property-led, regeneration projects when the focus needs to be on people, footfall and community building

• Insufficient investment sustained over a long enough timescale

• Often driven by politics rather than the market – making it difficult to create the natural ecosystem of the supply chain

• Failing to offer a set of compelling services to help mark it out as a world class business location, resulting in failure to accomplish target of new tenants

• Inability to clearly define the USP• They all have a dip that results in a loss of momentum –

this is never predicted or well managed