Cultural Economics: Relating Urban Design, Art and Civic Society as a Platform for Creative Consultation

Montague, LM, Powell, A and Swindells, S (2015) Cultural Economics: Relating Urban Design, Art and Civic Society as a Platform for Creative Consultation. In: 2nd International Conference on “Changing Cities II: spatial, design, landscape & socio-economic dimensions, 22 June 2015 - 26 June 2015, Porto Heli, Greece.

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Abstract

Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England, faces a particular set of circumstances which are representative of those faced by many post-industrial settlements in current times. This paper traverses the socio-economic, political and cultural background to these circumstances: to broadly understand the interrelationship between urban design, the regional cultural offer and civic society through the lens of ‘cultural economics’. At a time when much of Europe is still feeling the effects of the global recession; and when the north of England has been particularly devastated by cuts to public sector funding, it explores heritage, culture and history in relation to place-making and place ‘branding’. It asks how a cultural offer within a locale might be understood in terms of economic infrastructure, and how culture as a social and economic resource might be strengthened by the support of local government and the community through ‘creative consultation’.