Creative Industries and the Urban Hierarchy: The Position of Lower Tier Cities in the Knowledge Economy

Abstract

As the 21st century progresses, the most successful economies and societies will be creative ones. Worldwide, governments are producing strategies to encourage the development of creative industries and to strengthen the role of knowledge cities nationally and internationally. There is significant policy discussion regarding the role of creative clusters in strengthening local economies and significant energy has been expended discussing the many positive outcomes of such developments. This chapter takes these issues as a starting point and considers the role of creative industries within broader concerns regarding regional development. Referring to data and analysis on the urban and regional geographies of creative industries the chapter considers the extent to which places at different levels of the settlement hierarchy can successfully develop creative industry nodes.