Research Project

Urban Inequality in the Creative City. A Comparative Analysis of Emerging New Disparities in the Knowledge Society.

In the context of the knowledge society knowledge-intensive industries are seen as a chance for urban economic prosperity and development. However, many of these claims have not yet been tested thoroughly or have even been refuted. Moreover, it might be that the strong focus on education, creativity and social networks adds to increased cleavages between different social groups instead of opening up opportunities for disadvantaged inhabitants.
The project is therefore having a closer look at the impact of the knowledge-based industries on disparities in cities. We are analyzing social inequalities in seven different cities and how these relate to being so-called creative cities. The cities, stemming from different countries, all have large and prestigious universities and share a strong focus on the knowledge-intensive industries. By comparing them, we will be able to assess differences and similarities in inequalities and relate these to recent trends in the context of the knowledge society.

Associated partners: Dr. Michael Hölscher (Heidelberg), Prof. Dr. David Wilson (Urbana-Champaign), Prof. Dr. Thomas Hutton (UBC Vancouver), Prof. Dr. Linda McDowell (Oxford), Prof. Dr. David Giband (Montpellier), Dr. Ferenc Gyuirs (Budapest), Dr. Justin Beaumont (Groningen)