Netzwerkstrukturen kreativ-urbaner Milieus in mittleren Großstädten

Abstract

Cities are increasingly reliant on innovative ideas to better survive in global competition. These ideas are based on creative potential which can only be revealed by the creative inhabitants of the cities. However, the creativity of single geniuses is less relevant than the collective creativity of the whole milieu. To utilize the resources of these creative-urban milieus further information about their networks is necessary. Creativity is regarded as a form of implicit knowledge which arises and is passed through interaction within the framework of spatially-related network relationships. The article explores to what extend creativity is a resource of cities, which role the collective network-resource has for urban development and how actors can be identified which allows an integration of creative potential in urban development and urban planning. Features and structures of a creative-urban milieu in the city of Braunschweig (Germany) are analysed by ego-centered network-relationships of several actors. Information about different roles, functions and meanings of single actors or groups in the milieu, about different network-layers, about density and centrality are given in order to get a better understanding of the development of creative-urban milieus in medium-sized cities.

Keywords

• Creativity
• Creative-urban milieu
• Network analysis
• Urban development
• Knowledge
• Braunschweig