Course 2012-2013 a.y.

Course Objectives

Creativity is a multi-faceted concept, particularly complex as it regards both the actors and the organizations involved in creative production and consumption and the urban settings in which production and consumption occur. The course deals with creativity in cultural industries, creative cities' characteristics and policies, and creative professional communities operating, living and working in the urban setting.
The course aims at:

• integrating managerial and urban studies approaches dealing with the theme of urban creativity and creative communities. Both the perspectives are relevant and complementary to this topic. Some relevance is given also to a sociological approach to cultural scenes;
• acquiring a deeper and more aware knowledge of cultural production systems, understanding the connections between the creative production dynamics and the social, infrastructural, institutional, economic, technological, environmental and urban situations;
• providing the tools to analyze the urban setting, integrating the institutional, social, managerial and cultural spheres.

Course Content Summary

• Managing creativity: from the individual genius to a creative organization. How to manage multidisciplinary teams and support organizational creativity (culture, structure, processes).
• Principles of urban economics and urban labor markets. Urbanization and the urban question.
• City growth and amenities: cultural (demand) driven policies.
• Gentrification.
• The public city, art and public sphere. Centers and peripheries in the visual arts productions: museums, galleries, exhibitions.
• Case histories from international cities e.g. Berlin, New York, Shanghai, Los Angeles.
• Field projects on creative industries and districts in Milan.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

Attending students

• Written exam on the course materials for attending students
• Project in teams on different creative districts/industries in Milan

Non Attending students

• Written/oral exam

Textbooks

• Collection of readings available at EGEA

Non attending students 

• Collection of readings available at EGEA
• A.J. SCOTT, Social Economy of the Metropolis, Oxford, 2008
• L. LEES, T. SLATER, E. WYLY, Gentrification, London, Routledge, 2008