The role of cultural and creative services in the evaluation of the world urban system

Abstract

Traditionally, academic evaluation of the world urban system has been based on economic approaches and focused on primary cities. However, the recent convergence between economic and cultural spheres, known in specialist literature as the ‘new economy’ or ‘cognitive–cultural capitalism’, requires the inclusion of secondary cities and cultural parameters, such as creative and cultural services, to obtain knowledge of the world urban system with greater accuracy. Accordingly, the authors have developed the Synthetic Index of Cultural Components (objective 1). Subsequent statistical treatment through a principal component analysis and a cluster analysis not only shows a representation of the multifunctional character of the world urban system (objective 2) but also identifies the cultural specializations that urban planners use to position cities worldwide (objective 3). The results demonstrate that the reputation of a city derives not only from its productive economic character but also from other cultural creative services that give meaning to its multidimensional perspective. The authors conclude that these services are empirically valid when the cultural dimension is measured, as they are illustrative of the cultural mechanisms that help cities to supply symbolic, experiential, and cultural capital, all of which are vital in the competitive context of globalization.