Unlocking Power of Creative Industries in Cities
Sameh Wahba, Global Director for Urban, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land Global Practice, World Bank and Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture, UNESCO How do creative industries contribute to cities physical and social fabric? Culture, creativity and cities have all been critical enablers of societal advancement throughout history. From Kyoto, to Seoul, Madaba to Bazzaville, Angoulême to Lima and many cities in between, cultural and creative industries have enabled communities to thrive and heal; and those cities have enabled cultural and creative industries to flourish. Their contribution to social inclusion, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, equitable economic growth and local ownership of development processes is instrumental to the achievement of the 17 goals set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The cultural and creative industries are the beating heart of the creative economy. From audio visual and interactive media, performing arts and intangible cultural heritage, to literature, visual arts and crafts, design and creative services and heritage and tourism activities - these creative fields can stimulate economic vitality in cities, spur innovation and bolster inclusion and diversity of cultural expressions as a means to meet emerging challenges. What has been the impact of pandemic on this segment? In a rapidly urbanizing world, where 7 in 10 people globally will reside in urban areas by 2050, cities are the epicenters of the creative economy. More than 80% of the global economy is generated in cities. This includes a large portion of the creative economy, which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed annual global revenues that were estimated to have reached US$2,250 billion and employed more young people than any other sector. Both cities and the culture and creativity sectors have been hit particularly hard by the current COVID-19 pandemic, with large cities often containing the greatest share of jobs at risk. Cultural institutions have lost large shares of expected revenues and 1 in 8 museums may never reopen again. Artists and culture professionals are struggling to make ends meet and are often without access to social safety nets. Up to 90 percent of World Heritage properties have been shut down during the pandemic, along with halts in intangible cultural heritage practices and a massive drop in global tourism and mobility, with devastating economic consequences for communities whose livelihoods depend on these activities. Yet, COVID-19 has also brought to light the importance of culture as an invaluable resource that can be tapped into to support the resilience of affected communities, to rebuild societies, to foster economic development and contribute to post-crisis recovery. What are the steps required to rebuild creative industries? To ensure a thriving and resilient creative economy and to enable creative cities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take urgent action to support decision makers in facilitating their recovery, and enable the cultural and creative industries to continue to make important contributions to cities along the social, economic and spatial dimensions. The United Nations’ declaration of the year 2021 as the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development provides significant momentum for the global community to promote the creative economy and sustainable urban development towards creating opportunities for inclusive economic growth and for the empowerment of local communities.
Tags : Interviews World Bank UNESCO COVID-19 pandemic Land Urban sustainable development creative industries Sameh Wahba Disaster Risk Management Ernesto Ottone R