From the new economy to creative city

What is new when it comes to the relations between the new economy and new industrial districts (cultural or creative clusters)? A number of approaches to urban economy have been raised with regard to this theme in recent academic discourse. Debate continues around issues such as the “enhanced” or “diminished” role of geography, new classical economic geographical approaches vs. knowledge-based theories, and the presence of economic motivations in forms of organizational or institutional behaviors vs. the elimination mechanism by the individual preference for locations termed urban amenities. While much has been achieved with respect to these inquiries, this chapter argues that creative industry districts are an issue that should be investigated within the framework of local-regional-international economic systems and local urban sociocultural contexts. The embeddedness of economy in social networks is also a key factor. As a result, it is essential to link “the new economy” with “the creative city” on a theoretical level. This chapter seeks to interpret several related notions, including “creative industries,” “clusters,” “cluster networks,” and “creative cities.”.