This book challenges the new urban growth concepts of the creative class and creative industries from a critical urban theory perspective. Critiques Richard Florida's popular books about cities and the creative class Presents an alternative approach based on analyses of empirical research data concerning the German urban system and the case study regions, Hanover and Berlin Underscores that the culture industry takes a leading role in conforming with neoliberal conceptions of labor markets

This book challenges the new urban growth concepts of the creativeclass and creative industries from a critical urban theoryperspective.* Critiques Richard Florida's popular books about cities and thecreative class* Presents an alternative approach based on analyses of empiricalresearch data concerning the German urban system and the case studyregions, Hanover and Berlin* Underscores that the culture industry takes a leading role inconforming with neoliberal conceptions of labor markets

List of Illustrations viiSeries Editors' Preface xIntroduction 11 Creativity and Innovation under the Command of Capital12The Capitalist Imperative of Creativity and Innovation 12Generalizing Models of Urban Economic Development 18The Role of Innovation and Interurban Competition inHarvey's Theory of Capitalist Urbanization 24Conclusion 342 Creative Cities as a New Urban Growth Ideology: The Impactof Creative Occupations on Regional Economic Success 37Introduction 37Critique of Florida's Conception of the Creative Class39An Assessment of Regional Economic Success Factors and theImpact of Creative Workers on Regional Development 47The Impact of Creative Occupational Groups on Regional EconomicDevelopment in Germany 52Relationship between "Qualities of Place" and theRegional Concentration of Scientifically and TechnologicallyCreative Workers 77Conclusion 883 Innovation and Knowledge Networks in a Metropolitan Region:The Impact of Localization Economies and Networking onTechnological Creativity 92Introduction 92Innovation and Knowledge Networks: Theoretical Approaches 97The Application of Network Analysis to Urban Regions'Knowledge Networks 104Geographic Scales and Structural Properties of KnowledgeNetworks in the Metropolitan Region of Hanover 109Assessment of Network Impacts on Regional Firms'Innovation Output 121Conclusion 1254 Creativity in the Culture and Media Industries: The Impactof Commercial Imperatives on Artistic Creativity 128Introduction 128The Institutional Order of the Cultural Economy: Creativity in aCapitalist Context 131Global Centers of the Culture Industry and the Production ofLifestyle Images 146Conclusion 1555 Local Clustering of the Cultural Economy in the Metropolisof Berlin: The Urbanization Economies of Artistically CreativeOccupations 158Introduction 158The Rise of the Cultural Economy in Berlin's Inner-CityArea 163Creative Cities and the Role of the Culture Industries in UrbanEconomic and Spatial Development: Implications for UrbanRegeneration 183Conclusion 1916 Synthesis: The Creative Capital of Cities 194Appendix: Grouping of Occupations and Subsectors 208References 219Index 234