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Culture and Development in Small and Medium-Sized Cities

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A topical collection in Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This collection belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

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Editor

Prof. Dr. Diego A. Barrado-Timón

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Collection Editor

Human Geography, Autonomous University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: urban studies; culture; economy of culture; tourism; urban discourse

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Creative and cultural activities are recognized for their potential to contribute to the intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable development of the territories in which they take place. One favored topic in the specialized literature around this concept has been that of geographies; that is, the distribution and location of such activities, and their co-location patterns within a given area, as well as their propensity to form clusters and to generate territorial and economic synergies. However, a significant proportion of empirical studies on these phenomena and the most important theories pertaining to them have focused on large cities and metropolitan areas of a relatively global nature.

The chief aim of this Special Issue is to reflect on the role of creative and cultural industries in small and medium-sized cities, in order to reflect on the adequacy of existing theories in terms of spatial areas outside the reach of globalization’s most marked trends. This will yield a better understanding of the weight of local factors in the economy of culture, taking into account differentiations such as the integration of small and medium-sized cities into metropolitan areas, or their situation in environments of low population density; the importance of institutions such as public administration, universities, or museums; the weight of historical heritage in the economic projection of cities; labour demands according to specialized sectors; access to markets at different spatial scales; and so on. Richer understanding will likewise emerge around the dynamics of cultural and creative ecosystems in small and medium-sized cities, including the nature and interrelation of different components in such ecosystems and their economic and social impacts.

Another intention of this Special Issue is to transcend mere theoretical reflection to address specific situations in intermediate cities that are usually excluded from research (for reasons of scale, data availability, etc.). Thus, texts will be collected that permit the identification of those factors (social, environmental, economic, and spatial), agents (institutional, public, private, and third sector), and mechanisms involved in the cultural and creative economies of different small and medium-sized cities.

From this theoretical and empirical approach, conclusions may be drawn that extend the geographical framework covered by existing theories, enhancing comprehension of the various mechanisms that (at the local level, and with local particularities) determine the success or failure of certain cultural environments.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Diego A. Barrado-Timón
Collection Editor

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Keywords

small and medium-sized cities
cultural industries
creative economy
cultural innovation
local development
cultural sustainability
cultural clusters
environmental dimension of culture

Published Papers (9 papers)

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2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

19 pages, 13075 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Culture as a Resilient and Sustainable Strategy in Small Cities

by Xosé Somoza Medina and Carlos Emilio Relea Fernández

Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7582; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177582 - 2 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1487

Abstract

This article studies the recent evolution of five cases of small cities in the interior of Spain that several decades ago invested in culture as a strategy to maintain their populations and increase the quality of life of their inhabitants. These are case studies of differentiated characteristics in which the analysis of their evolution offers important keys for developing cultural policies in any small city in the world. The examples of Allariz, Almagro, Astorga, Puigcerdá and Trujillo allow for the corroboration of how betting on culture as a resilient and sustainable strategy generates positive results for their populations. Allariz, in the province of Ourense, is showing a cultural identity development that emerged as a movement to reject the pollution of the Arnoia River. In Almagro, in the La Mancha province of Ciudad Real, the recovery in 1955 of the only Corral de Comedias preserved since the 17th century allowed for the inauguration in 1979 of the first Almagro Classical Theatre Festival, and from then on, a whole series of restorations and new constructions related to theater and the performing arts, which turned a small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants into the national theater capital. Astorga is a small two-thousand-year-old city in the province of León, which is trying to recover as a living history museum to face the current reality of demographic and economic crises. Puigcerdá, in the province of Girona, the historic capital of Cerdanya, is another small town in which cultural management and production is much larger than it would be corresponding to its demographic size. Lastly, Trujillo, in the Extremadura province of Cáceres, a city of pre-Roman origin known in the 16th century as the birthplace of conquistadors in America such as Francisco Pizarro and Francisco de Orellana, is another small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants that is committed to creating and maintaining a rich cultural agenda with an important weight for the history and relationship between America and Spain and the recovery of the civil and religious heritage of this small monumental city. These are five enclaves, in summary, that have for years followed a clear strategy of betting on identity and culture to improve the well-being of their inhabitants and the local development of their economy, and which, as this research demonstrates, have made it possible to avoid the biggest problems of the impoverishment and abandonment of other nearby towns with similar characteristics. Full article

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2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020

21 pages, 5305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Liking and Disliking in the Historical Urban Landscape of Ibarra, Ecuador

by Morella Briceño-Avila, Ernesto Antonio Ponsot-Balaguer and Alfonso Rondón-González

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11390; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411390 - 22 Jul 2023

Viewed by 2018

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on opinions on the elements and spaces of the historical urban landscape in Ibarra, Ecuador. This research aimed to propose an objective way of interpreting historical landscapes based on the opinions of people who frequent those places. Our hypothesis was that personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, educational level, and frequency of visits) condition people’s judgments of urban landscapes, and we aimed to establish which of these characteristics were the most influential. A survey was conducted in the place of study, and passers-by were asked to mention three elements and spaces that they liked or disliked. The methodology had two parts: a descriptive statistical analysis that was used to locate each point on a map and a logistic regression model to study the relationships between people’s opinions and their personal characteristics. The results show that (1) it was possible to demonstrate the elements and spaces that were liked and disliked in proportion graphs and planimetry and (2) that an explanatory analysis of opinions could be carried out using a logistic regression model to study significant characteristics. We found that the frequency of visits was the most significant characteristic for the elements and spaces that were disliked. We also concluded that the results of this study could provide objective tools for obtaining the opinions of people and combining them with planimetry. Additionally, the results could be used to establish priorities for urban authorities regarding improvements and interventions for elements and spaces that people like or dislike. Full article

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35 pages, 8050 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Audiovisual Fiction and World Heritage Sites in Medium-Sized Spanish Cities: The Alhambra of Granada and the Royal Alcazar of Seville (1905–2023)

by Maria C. Puche-Ruiz and Agustín Gámir

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7402; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097402 - 29 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2419

Abstract

This article analyses the production of audiovisual fiction as an instrument for disseminating the image of the Alhambra (Granada) and the Royal Alcazar (Seville) for tourism purposes. The methodology used was twofold: qualitative, carrying out an exhaustive bibliographic review, but also quantitative, using primary sources, through the identification of the films shot, visualization and collection of metadata of the scenes filmed. The information, previously structured, also allows a double analysis: temporal, considering five stages, and spatial, identifying and mapping more than twenty significant places within both sites. In its temporal dimension, the main conclusion refers to the different significance of cinema in the dissemination of the image of both sites: very prominent during Franco’s regime, with a profusion of foreign productions (Alhambra), while from the democratic period onwards it is the Royal Alcazar which offers a greater number of filming. In its spatial dimension, it has been verified that the 19th century formats in charge of disseminating images established a canon of places according to a certain degree of exoticism, which has been perpetuated by cinematography without significant changes. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020

25 pages, 6654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Financial-Economic Analysis of Cultural Companies in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in Spain

by Francisca Cea-D’Ancona, Antonia Sáez-Cala and Antonio Palacios

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6524; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116524 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

Cultural enterprises are today an important component in the development processes of many territories. In urban centers—particularly those located within metropolitan areas—cultural companies constitute a main element of the economy, due to their ability to activate new production chains and revitalize local regions. The objective of this work is to examine the traditional cultural sector (subsectors 18, 59, 60, 90 and 91 of NACE-09) of small and medium-sized cities from the perspective of the financial conditions of the particular companies involved. The use of multivariate techniques for reducing dimensions enables the specification of key factors within the financial structures of companies to assemble homogeneous groups of firms, in order to then determine which factors influence their profitability in both intra- and extra-metropolitan contexts. The results of the applied method indicate heterogeneity in the financial situations of these cultural industries in the activities and cities analyzed. Differences are marked in the financial profiles of cultural companies in intra-metropolitan environments in terms of business profitability, debt quality, financial stability, investment capacity, and costs of personnel. On the other hand, the economic-financial structures of companies in extra-metropolitan cities are determined through efficiency in the allocation of economic-financial resources, profit margins, and investment capacity. Belonging to one cultural sub-sector or another and a particular location within an intra- or extra-metropolitan urban environment also play some part in a company’s economic and financial structure. Hence there is a need to differentiate the design of intervention strategies (instruments) aimed at promoting the system/environment to which the company belongs as well as the company itself. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020

17 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Collaboration for Community-Based Cultural Sustainability in Island Tourism Development: A Case in Korea

by Xiubai Li, Jinok Susanna Kim and Timothy J. Lee

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7306; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137306 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6154

Abstract

Constructive collaboration with host communities while maintaining their traditional culture is crucial when planning tourism ventures, particularly if ensuring sustainability is considered important. This paper investigates the cultural sustainability of Jeju Island in South Korea and whether collaboration with community-based tourism ensures this sustainability through in-depth interviews with local residents. The first part of the interview focuses on cultural components to assess the current situation of cultural sustainability on the island, and the second part is related to that collaboration. The findings of the interviews indicate that: (i) there are certain negative indications of cultural sustainability in that Jeju people holding informal power became vulnerable in the face of tourism demand; (ii) several barriers exist in the facilitation of community-based tourism collaboration notwithstanding the beneficial trends, and (iii) there is a strong relationship between collaboration and cultural sustainability. It is also noted that the collaboration itself does not coincide with the actualization of cultural sustainability so long as current power disparities exist. The study delivers significant implications to the tourism policymakers and practitioners on how sustainable tourism development should be planned and operated to secure a long-term benefit especially focused on how the local community should be involved in the overall development process. Full article

2020

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

24 pages, 3567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultural and Creative Ecosystems in Medium-Sized Cities: Evolution in Times of Economic Crisis and Pandemic

by Ana Escalona-Orcao, Diego A. Barrado-Timón, Severino Escolano-Utrilla, Belén Sánchez-Valverde, Maricruz Navarro-Pérez, Mariola Pinillos-García and Luis Antonio Sáez-Pérez

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010049 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3919

Abstract

This article seeks to forecast the short- and medium-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the cultural and creative ecosystems of the 81 cities in Spain with between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. Data on employment in nine sectors (per NACE Rev. 2) support the characterization of cultural ecosystems based on their dynamism, specialization, and propensity to form clusters (thanks to the co-location of certain sectors, meant to generate inter-sectoral spillovers and cross-sector synergies). The applied methodology consists of comparing these three attributes during and following the 2008 financial crisis. Then, any changes observed are interpreted in light of arguments from the COVID-19 literature, and from our own analysis, in order to assess the probability of recurrence (or nonrecurrence) during the current pandemic. Throughout this process, the metropolitan or non-metropolitan position of cities is taken into consideration. A first conclusion is that, as in the financial crisis, the behavior of ecosystems during the pandemic will be asymmetric. Secondly, metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities will maintain their distinctive sectoral specializations. Non-metropolitan cities appear to be more vulnerable for their strong connection to creative sectors most affected by the pandemic, although some can take advantage of good cultural supply and proximity to metropolitan centers. Metropolitan cities seem more secure, thanks to the higher presence of less vulnerable sectors (due to elevated and accelerating digitization). Nevertheless, most functional clusters were diminished during the financial crisis, and it seems unlikely that sectoral co-locations will re-emerge in a post-pandemic scenario as a business strategy, at least in the short term. Beyond these forecasts, we recommend dealing with certain structural failures of these ecosystems, especially the vulnerability and precariousness of most cultural and creative companies and workers. Full article

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15 pages, 572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mayors, Using Cultural Expenditure in An Opportunistic Way Improves the Chances of Re-Election, but Do Not Do It: Revisiting Political Budget Cycles

by Jordi Sanjuán, Pau Rausell, Vicente Coll and Raül Abeledo

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9095; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219095 - 31 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3361

Abstract

This article analyzes whether expenditure on the provision of merit goods, culture, health, education, and sports, by local governments, in medium-sized cities (between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants) is tied to the electoral cycle; that is, whether expenditure increases in the run up to an electoral process. Further, we analyze whether the increase in spending on Culture by local governments has any significant effect on the probability of local governments being re-elected. To answer these questions, a database of 350 medium-sized municipalities is used comprising the period 2011 to 2019, when two municipal elections were held in Spain; in 2015 and in 2019. The results confirm that both total spending and spending on culture and sports, are tied to the electoral cycle, while expenditure on other merit goods is not. Moreover, using a logit model, it is confirmed that an increase in culture expenditure has a significant effect on the probability of the government being re-elected. Specifically, a one-third increase in cultural expenditure, as a proportion of total expenditure (e.g., passing from 6% to 8%) at local government level, improves re-election chances by almost 10%. Full article

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28 pages, 445 KiB

Open AccessReview

Medium and Small Cities, Culture and the Economy of Culture. A Review of the Approach to the Case of Spain in Light of International Scientific Scholarship

by Diego Barrado-Timón, Antonio Palacios and Carmen Hidalgo-Giralt

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7321; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187321 - 7 Sep 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4538

Abstract

While most published studies on the economy of culture present a clear bias in favor of large cities, a significant international bibliography has emerged in recent years that privileges the perspective of medium and small cities. Unfortunately, the case of Spain has been largely overlooked by these analyses; this text is intended to remedy that oversight. To that end, a bibliographic compilation has been undertaken of studies on the cultural economy and cultural development in small and medium Spanish cities, providing a review of the specific literature as contrasted with the international literature. The main conclusions indicate that the Spanish case is similar to that of other western countries. Thus, clear confirmation is found that the effects of agglomeration economies and the so-called metropolitan bias also prevail in Spain, together with dispersion patterns that, to a certain extent, favor particular small and medium cities. Furthermore, even though the literature on the use of culture for urban renewal is abundant, the same cannot be said for the economics of culture, where considerable research gaps persist, both in the geographical coverage of case studies and in the social or labor impacts of this economic model. Full article

34 pages, 6203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cooperative Learning of Seiryu-Tai Hayashi Learners for the Hida Furukawa Festival in Japan

by Shyh-Huei Hwang and Hsu-Ying Chan

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4292; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104292 - 24 May 2020

Viewed by 3068

Abstract

The residents of Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan use cooperative learning during festival organization to preserve the various traditional arts of Hida Furukawa Festival, such as Hayashi. The goals of this study were to (1) analyze the aspects of cooperative learning of Seiryu-tai Hayashi learners involved in the Furukawa Festival, and (2) determine the effects of factors influencing cooperative learning on the aspects of cooperative learning among these learners. We applied grounded theory and conducted a field study on the six years of the Furukawa Festival and residents’ daily lives since 2014. We numbered, coded, and categorized text data, and classified the data using the KJ method. We applied the five elements of cooperative learning by Johnson and Johnson, and analyzed the cooperative learning processing of Seiryu-tai, considering five aspects: (1) cultivation and skills: to follow the norms of Hayashi learning and then cultivate the skills; (2) demonstration and imitation: the process of Hayashi learning without notation; (3) instruction and accompanying: elders addressed norms and demonstrated skills, providing comfort and encouragement; (4) experience and feeling: interacting with unqualified learners to experience the Hayashi atmosphere, and (5) others and interaction: experience of a different culture. From the analyses, we found that the five elements of cooperative learning in Hayashi cooperative learning provide new functions. We applied the five elements of cooperative learning to analyze the five aspects of Azure Dragon Stall’s Hayashi cooperative learning: (1) positive interdependence: deep interdependence exists in the core of the learning circle, and guarding and immersion are included; (2) individual accountability: achievement of following the norms, enhancing skills, and having a tacit agreement on the instrumental ensemble; (3) promotive interaction: five interactive types are influenced, including people who follow etiquette, people who need to be advised, people who imitate, people with tolerance, and people who interact; (4) the division of social skills into four types including playing, performing, senior, and foreign, and (5) group processing, which includes learners, instructors, senior learners, elders, youths, and foreign visitors, who jointly form the Hayashi learning circle. Full article

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Culture and Development in Small and Medium-Sized Cities

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Published Papers (9 papers)

2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020

2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2021, 2020

2021

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2020

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