Urbans Space and the Uses of Culture

discussion about the increasingly high-profile nature of cultural programs in inner-city urban regeneration initiatives. Whether these initiatives come under the rubrics of “creative industries”, “cultural planning ” or “cultural development”, they have at their core a nexus between urban planning and cultural programming. The logic of this nexus is to ensure urban development facilitates the possibilities for community and citizenly social democratic participation; culture is thought to be an ideal tool for ensuring both diverse community representation and participation. However, to what extent are the cultural components of such urban regeneration schemes window dressing for middle-class cultural consumption, or are there real social and cultural benefits for those publics (and practitioners) who, although being priced out of many of the leisure, cultural and residential facilities provided, nevertheless flock to its spaces? A selection of American, Australian, British and Canadian newspaper articles clipped over the last two years demonstrate the general acceptance of the “just add local culture and stir ” school of thought. “Cool cities may defy planning: Leaders believ