The Role of Cultural Policy in Urban Regeneration The case of Torino
Introduction Torino: Capital of Piedmont North-Western Italy 950.000 inhabitants
A not very old picture After WWII Italian economic boom and Fordist development TORINO = FIAT Automaker One industrial company town model 90 s Post-Fordist restructuring process Crisis in the manufacturing sector Tough impact for the city and regional economy
How to exit the crisis? Support the economic transition towards service-based and knowledge economy. Creating a new urban image and identity. 2 main public actors involved: City of Torino Piemonte Region
Strategy for Urban Development 2006 Winter Olympics Candidature (awarded in 1999) Strategic Plans (1998, 2006) Torino Internazionale Association (2000) pool and coordinate efforts of the public and private actors in the metropolitan area
Culture as a key asset 1998 Strategic Plan - Promoting Torino as a city of Culture, Tourism and Sport : Enhancing Cultural Heritage Coordinating cultural activities and promoting international cultural events Enhancing tourism industry Repositioning Torino and Piedmont in the international tourism market Using the 2006 Winter Olympic Games as an engine for the development and promotion of the city at the international level
Culture as a key asset 2006 Strategic Plan - Two Strategic Lines of Actions: Cultural Assets: similar to 1998 Strategic Plan objectives Creativity: support the economic dimension of new cultural and creative enterprises
2006 Strategic Plan Creativity Towards a New Urban Model? Metropolitan Cultural District 1998, 2006 Strategic Plans Cultural Assets 1.Enhancing cultural production 2.Enhancing consumption cultural goods 4. Hotels & Restaurants Olympic Games 3.Infrastructure
3 Cultural Policy examples Institutional innovation for the management of the Metropolitan Museum System Public investment in the Movie Industry PiemonteGroove collective mark for electronic music
Metropolitan Museum System Enhancing management autonomy for improving the valorization of cultural heritage Public Private Partnerships 2 pioneering cases Fondazione Torino Musei (City owned Museums) Fondazione Museo Egizio (State owned Museum)
Movie Industry Old Tradition and new creative milieu Attract new productions in the Regional and Metropolitan area: Film Commission (2002) Public investments in hard infrastructures Cineporto (2008) Virtual Reality & Multi Media Park (2007) Piedmont Film Company (2009) Integrated system of production and consumption (Museum, Film Festival)
PiemonteGroove Vibrant electronic and dance music scene Support and promotion of Piedmont electronic music Collective mark for electronic music artists Bottom-up intervention Participatory approach
Trends Great involvement of public and private actors New models of governance for urban regeneration strategies Institutional innovations for a better management of cultural resources Increased cultural expenditures
Public Resources for Culture City of Torino Cultural Expenditure 250.000.000 200.000.000 150.000.000 100.000.000 50.000.000 0 1998 2000 2002 2004 2005 2006 Total Cultural Expenditure Capital Expenditure Capital Transfers Current Expenditure Current Transfers
Private Resources for Culture Involvement of Bank Foundations 2002 = 66 million Euros 2006 = 82 million Euros Funding both cultural infrastructures and cultural activities
Outcomes? 1.Enhancing cultural production 2.Enhancing consumption cultural goods 4. Hotels & Restaurants 3.Infrastructure
Enhancing cultural consumption Increased number of visitors to the MMS From 1,3 million (1998) to 3,2 (2007) 1 new museum and reopening of 2 historical palaces New attractiveness for the MMS Increased number of visitors in temporary exhibitions and fairs
Enhancing cultural production Inside View: Except for few cases, cultural policies have not yet triggered the virtuous circle between cultural production and consumption. Distance between large organizations of cultural distribution, which have attracted so far the highest amount of resources and attention, and the vibrant milieu of small-scale actors and producers of the city s cultural economy.
Enhancing cultural production Economic contribution of cultural activities to GDP is estimated at 4% (Only public and tourist expenditures!!!) Trade-off between: Selling out the cultural identity and image of a city Reinforcing it trough actions stimulating creativity and cultural participation
Some open questions Is still there a negative post-industrial legacy? Where are the intangible spillovers for social quality? Cultural policies within a larger policy framework for urban regeneration?
Some Lessons Political stability for long term vision Balance between Top-Down and Bottom-Up approaches Soft and Hard Cultural Infrastructures Tapping into local existent sources Risk of overinvestment in urban regeneration programs Shifting Involvements of public and private actors
Thank You