The idea

Normally, the study of culture in cities take into account the number of certain kinds of cultural services which exist in it classified according to certain criteria, for example, the type of installation (theatre, cinema, museum etc.). However, we are not so much interested in the number of installations that exist as in what these mean for the city in terms of opportunities for social and economic development. Thus, we use a broad definition of culture and cultural practices, not exclusively focused on the “arts”, but rather on the diversity of activities, products, practices and cultural consumption that may occur in a city. Thus we are interested in the different kinds of museums but also in the industries or shops in terms of their products or activities they can support. To attract visitors, for example, it may be important to have good museums, but also bars, restaurant and shops: visiting a museum, dining, shopping and going out for drinks are activities that can go together. Similarly, attracting the creative class requires an innovative business climate, but also a social climate marked by tolerance, diversity, creativity and even some degree of transgression, with innovative and unconventional places to eat, go out, do shopping, meet people and exchange ideas.

We believe that the presence of culture in a city can be looked form three different points of view (or approaches): that of the culture industries, that of opportunities for cultural consumption and that of opportunities for territorial development. Or to put it another way: what kinds of economic activity linked to culture and creativity are carried out in the city, what kinds of tastes can be satisfied in the city, and what kind of strategy can be developed in the city, given the stock and kind of cultural amenities it possesses? One more centered on cultural planning or one more oriented to entertainment, for example?

 How did we do it? The Performance Index ’.

How can I find out the character and cultural dimensions of a city?.