- Regional Spaces, Creativity and Sustainable Cities    223 kb by    Twitchett, Bill | tercitey@nordnet.fr    Short Outline Appreciation of climatic and geographical factors in development of cities and regions enables evaluation of quality of life in relation to qualities of site. Economic and cultural vitality is influenced by imagination of populations rooted into founding events and options for governance. Responsibility, harmony and perseverance are key factors for lasting creativity. Abstract « Regional Spaces, Creativity and Sustainable Cities » In introduction, reference is made to convivial regions of the planet : definitions, existing regions, potential for creativity Significant cities have been developed within broad categories of climatic conditions : Alta, Biskra, Jakarta, Buenos Aires… While predominant geographical considerations might include an ocean port, rivers, plateau, mountains… is there not, through new technologies, new freedom for unleashing unlimited scope for creativity ? Quality of life / quality of natural or built environment : is an evaluation possible ? Within a population, imagination as a vital attribute in imagining spaces is also essential in imagining the economy Founding events related to water, food and defence have had their importance throughout history, but there is ample evidence of disappearance as well as creation of cities. Recent foundations, both small and large, have been based on options for governance as well as on other factors To what extent can economic vitality be channelled through concerted provision of regional spaces for new activities, or will global economic forces alone decide ? Growth might be desirable, but can policies of creative economies avoid exorbitant growth and difficult living conditions within specific sites, also the casting of long shadows over other highly desirable locations Although ancient urban centres tend to favour cultural activity, can new spaces also stimulate cultural vitality, essential to well-being of populations ? Human settlements, both old and new, need to achieve harmony with their regional site in order to survive through time To ensure sustainability new components of the economy should facilitate social responsibility at all stages of development Sound governance favouring suitable siting for such creative components is essential in consolidating, sustaining and maintaining resultant spaces compatible with human dignity Finally, an attempt is made to reach some conclusions about the degree of freedom in location of spaces for creative economies, within world patterns of urbanisation Keywords regions, governance, creativity, cultural vitality, perseverance Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2005: Making Spaces for the Creative Economy   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper