Sustainable cultural ecosystems in rural areas: practices for culture-led development in rural territory

Elena BorinBurgundy School of Business, DIJON (France)

Lesson 2

In the previous lessonDEVELOPMENT

Need for a sustainable developmentmodel

inappropriate models of development could endangersociety and the environments

EG:

too much focus on economics/financialgrowth => damages to the environment and unavailability of resources

Too much focus on social/cultural/religiousaspects => damages to the environmentand to the economic growth

Sustainable development

Advocacy/Need to implement a holistic approach

Potential solution: Adopting an ecosystem approach

It means interpreting cities and territories as if they were« natural ecosystems »

What are the advantages of applying the concept of ecosystem for sustainabledevelopment?

Openness

HOLISTIC: Focus on the broader environment, not just a sector, it takes into account differentaspects of society

It interprets the territory as an ecosystem of interactions, stresses interconnections

Balance in the development of the different subjects

Focus on territorial conditions, implies tailor-made interventions

Non-linear process in the ecosystemdevelopment thinking

• Debates on the applications of the ecosystem concept to developmentEcosystems in business

Ecosystems in entrepreneurship/start-up development

CULTURAL Ecosystems

• at the beginning: closed ecosystems, focus just on the cultural sector (Holden and Ecology of Culture)

• Current approach: cultural ecosystems as more conplex networks of interaction between culture and broader environment and stakeholders, culture as starting point for sustainability

CULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS

• Culture is considered as an important dimension of sustainable development in territories and regions

• Culture (interpreted as cultural value and cultural identity – given by both tangible and intangible resources – of a territory) is interpreted as a basis for designing the development of a city or region or area

Culture in – for and as sustainability

Cultural ecosystem among the broader ecosystemto enable the flowrishing of cultural and creative industries and start-up: need for

coordination and common strategy among the different subjects (Borin and Donato, 2015; Borin, 2018)

Cultural ecosystems?

Public authorities, public cultural

institutions

Cultural and creativeindustries

Other stakeholders(associations and

citizens)

Other sectors of the territory

Need to work on the coordination of the actors of the territorial ecosystem in order to create the sustainingenvironment for for-profit and non-profit organizations in the cultural and creative sector

Cultural identity of the territory as starting point for the dialogue

Central role of the cultural organizationand local cultural heritage authorities in shaping this ecosystem

CULTURAL VALUES AND IDENTITIES

Why is this approach interesting/innovative?

• The cultural dimension was not considered or includedin the first debates and reflections on sustainabledevelopment

• It was a long path leading to the inclusion of culture in the sustainability reflection

Reflecting on sustainabledevelopment

What is sustainable development?

• In the report « Our Common Future » (1987), the expression « sustainable development » was used for the first time

• “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland report, 1987)

• Holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to the end point of sustainability"

The Brundtland report (1987)

Focus on sustainable development

policies needed for achieving SD.

Key concepts:

• the concept of "needs", in particular

the essential needs of the world's

poor, to which overriding priority

should be given;

• the idea of limitations imposed by the

state of technology and social

organization on the environment's

ability to meet present and future

needs."

The Brundtland report (1987)

Three pillars of sustainabledevelopmnet:

1) Economic growth1) generate economic growth without

hurting the environment

2) Social equality1) social well-being of people

2) Decrease thr rich-poor divide

3) Environmentalprotection

• Green technologies

• Renewable resources

….. And the cultural dimension?

• Some advocacy groups and academics underlined that the triple-bottom-line dimensions of economic, environmental and social do not seem to be enough to reflect the complexity of contemporary society

• Agenda 21 for culture and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Executive Bureau: a fourth dimension should be added to the dimensions of sustainable development

• "Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development", (17 November 2010, Mexico City)

"Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development“ (2010)

➢ New perspective!

➢ Advocacy document that promotes culture to become a specific pillar or dimension of sustainable development

➢ fully interconnected with, and as important as, the other three

• It points to: • the relation between culture and sustainable development

• Importance of developing a solid cultural policy and advocating a cultural dimension in all public policies

However…..

• in September 2015 UN Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

• 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are established to be met in the next fifteen years

…………Where is culture?

SDG –Sustainable development goals

From 2010 onwards several document advocating for culture as 4th pillar or evenmore

• In 2015, book « URBAN SUSTAINABILITY IN THEORY AND PRACTICE - Circles of Sustainability » (P. James), results of a study of around 8 years

• New method for assessing sustainability (with specific reference to urban context and cities)

Circles of Sustainability(P. James)

« sustainabilityneeds a holisticapproach »

Ref.: http://www.circlesofsustainability.org/

Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe (2015)

• 2013-2015 EU funded research project resulting in a report • Culture is presented as fourth domain along the three traditional

pillars

• Cultural heritage is the focus but also other connotations are takeninto account

Reference: https://www.europanostra.org/our-work/policy/cultural-heritage-counts-europe/

Cultural Heritage

Counts for Europe (2015)

The debate continues

Several articles and policy document are stressing the need to broader of ourunderstanding of culture in the sustainabledevelopment paradigm

Ref.: Soini, K., & Dessein, J. (2016). Culture-sustainability relation: Towards a conceptual framework. Sustainability, 8(2), 167.

Cultural ecosystems reflecting this dynamic

Public authorities, public cultural institutions

Cultural and creativeindustries

Other stakeholders(associations and citizens)

Other sectors of the territory

CULTURAL VALUES AND IDENTITIES

What are the problems in developing thisapproach?

• Problem of scale: micro – meso – macro

• Stakeholders identification

• Inclusion of the different stakeholders

• Plurality of stakeholders: • public, private, civic (citizens and communities)

• Belonging to different sectors

• Risk of opportunistic behaviours – conflicting interests

• Create a viable and effective management mechanism

• Create a viable and effective governance mechanism

In practice: what does it imply?

IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNANCE

• Creating a governance structure and a management model, developed on a territorial scale, that can:

➢Put together the different significant stakeholders

➢Overcome micro-approaches

➢Encourage identification of strategy actions

Starting from the cultural values and identities of the place

Further reflections

The impact of cultural ecosystem approaches to sustainable development:

• The experience of Liverpool ECoc 2008

• FACT Foundation « small ecosystem »

Liverpool ECoC 2008

• Liverpool (UK) was European Capital of Culture in 2008

• Candidature started in 2000-2002

Starting point: fromunsustainable to sustainable model of development

• Unsustainability of the city

• The city didn’t meet neitherenvironmental nor social nor economic sustainability

• What can we do?

Rethinking the city starting from culture

➢ IDEA-STRATEGY: The city could be rebranded and repositioned starting from culture and creativivity to promote the development

➢ Redesigning the city as if it were a cultural ecosystem

How can we create/promote a cultural ecosystem approach for the city?

• Identify a significant cultural event/project that can work as a catalyst for this strategy => European Capital of Culture Initiative

• Identify stakeholders and involve them around shared values and identities

• Creation of an effective governance structure

• Keep going after the event! => Creating a sustainable legacy

Liverpool ECoC 2008

• GOVERNANCE: Creation of the Liverpool Culture Company - managing and commissioning body for the Liverpool ECoC (organisation replaced by the Culture Liverpool and Tourism business units within Liverpool City Council in 2009)

• Mixed funding (private – public both local and European)

Governance composition

Liverpool culture

company

Liverpool John

MooresUniversity

City Council and

opposingparties

senior figures from

otherbusiness

sectors (not cultural)

local media representati

ves(including

BBC)

Representatives of local

cultural institutions

Representative of

tourismsector

Representatives of local associations

Citizens were not involved in the governancestructure (onlythrough associations’ representatives) but wereactively involved as volunteers, audience and with targetedinitiatives throughout the ECoCimplementation and deliveryphases

E.G. Creative Communitiesteam, and its work across the communities of Liverpool from 2005 onwards => they were involved in the design of the events and their management

• 971 active volunteers for the ECoC• 8,770 people had signed up online

to be 08Ambassadors

Legacy: Results of the ECoC 2008

• Liverpool’s approach to ECoC governance was the result of extensive partnership across public, private and third sectors:

• This has contributed to the repositioning of culture as more central to cross-sectoralagendas, and reflected in the city-wide cultural strategy for 2008 to 2013

• There were 1,683 creative industry enterprises in Liverpool employing 11,000 people => growth of 8% in the number of enterprises since 2004

• Leverage for other development initiatives:• LARC-Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium, Small and Medium Arts Collective, Arts and Culture

Network

• Regeneration project in 2004 – private investment for project Liverpool One

• 68% of UK businesses believed the ECoC had a positive impact on Liverpool’s image

• 85% Residents agreed that the city was “a good place to live” (a 20% rise compared to before the the ECoC )

stronger cultural identity and sense of belonging

Triggering positive development mechanisms

Final Report – IMPACT ‘08

• After the event a report was published by the University of Liverpool, to analyse the impact of the ECoC 2008 initiative (B. Garcia et al. 2011)

• The document highlights the impact on different areas that mirrors the development dimensions1. Cultural access and participation

2. Economy and tourism

3. Cultural vibracy and sustainability

4. Image and perception

5. Governance and delivery process

IMPACT ‘08

• Building on crisis points as catalysts for change

• the lack of an established blueprint for ECoC delivery was perceived as an opportunity rather than as a threat

• Model of development and structures of management must be built anew in each city

• Tailor-made to the characteristics and identity of the city

After Liverpool ’08 …. other initiatives implemented according to the ecosystem approach

FACT Foundation

FACT Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Liverpool

ECoC ‘08 was a catalysts for rebranding of the city in the long term => Shift towards the creative industries

Spontaneous development of networks: • LARC-Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium, Small and Medium Arts

Collective, Arts and Culture Network• Regeneration project in 2004 – private investment for project Liverpool

One• FACT Foundatio,

FACT - Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Liverpool

FACT – FOUNDATION FOR ARTS AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY LIVERPOOL1997: Registered charity and a company limited by guaranteeFACT became a member of LARC (Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium) and chairs the Ropewalks CIC

• Flagship in redevelopment project of the Ropewalks district of Liverpool

• Creating a permanent centre for the development of cinema, art and technology related project for the city of Liverpool

• Reproducing on a small scale the ecosystem approach that characterized the ECoC ‘08

FACT - Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Liverpool

GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Board of Trustees

Independentexperts

Trusteesnominated by

membersLocal authorities

ACE ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL

FACT Foundation for Arts and Creative Technologies Liverpool

Management ModelDirector

Programmeproducer

Finance director HR consultantResearch and development

Executive director

Specific staff for each department

Collaboration with specific staff for each project(with local authorities, NHS, environmental authorities, representatives of non-profits and

local communities

Informal cooperation and

intermixing of staff

implemented on a project base, including public

actors

Other interesting examples

Check it on yourown:

Malta ECoC 2018

Other interestingexamples

Homeworks:

Birmingham (UK)

Birmingham Creative City Partnership

So far:cultural ecostem approaches workin urban contextx

We have analysed the cultural ecosystem model of sustainable development in relation of URBAN SPACES

• Cities and urban areas

……….What about rural spaces???????

Could the cultural ecosystem approach be successfullyapplied to rural spaces?

Cultural ecosystems approach for sustainabledevelopment as context dependent

Cultural ecosystem approaches have been peculiar to the development of CCS in urban context, leading to

sustainable models of urban development

• Tailor-made approach

• In cultural ecosystems the values/identity of the territory isa key factor for successful development

• Differences of cultural milieu and cultural identities in rural and urban spaces

Rural areas and urban areas

• Rural areas’ cultural ecosystemsas new challenge in terms of sustainable development?

Urban and rural areas

Some classifications

Densely-populated area

• This is a contiguous set of local areas, each of which has a density superior to 500 inhabitants per square kilometre, where the total population for the set is at least 50 000 inhabitants.

Intermediate area

• This is a contiguous set of local areas, not belonging to a densely-populated area, each of which has a density superior to 100 inhabitants per square kilometre, and either with a total population for the set of at least 50 000 inhabitants or adjacent to a densely-populated area.

Thinly-populated area

• This is a contiguous set of local areas belonging neither to a densely-populated nor to an intermediate area => not reaching the required density

Some clarification: urban and rural areas

• According to the degree of urbanisation:1. Densely populated area: (alternative name: cities)

1. At least 50 % living in high-density clusters (4) (alternative name: urban centre).

2. Intermediate density area (alternative name: towns and suburbs)

1. Less than 50 % of the population living in rural grid cells

2. Less than 50 % living in a high-density cluster.

3. Thinly populated area (alternative name: rural area)

1. More than 50 % of the population living in rural grid cells

Urban vs rural? Cultural ecosystems in urban and rural areas

• The topographic differences between urban and rural spaces might be expected to lead to very different experiences of implementation of cultural ecosystems

Point of reflection: cultural ecosystems in urban and rural areas

Point of reflection

• What could be the potential differences between urban and rural areas? In terms of cultural assets in particular?

• What could be the challenges and difficulties of implementing a cultural ecosystem approach in a rural areas compared to a urban area?

• What are the potentialities and strong points of implementing a cultural ecosystem approach in a rural areas compared to a urban area?

Points of reflection

• Work in small groups (4 people)

• Suggestion: Take as starting point some rural areas and activities in rural areas that you are familiar with

Share your reflections with the class!

Some examples

• The climats de vignoble de Bourgogne

• Lens/Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (France)

Elena.borin@bsb-education.com