The Experience City and challenges for Architects and Urban Designers:editorial

The article discusse the challenges of the experience economy from a Nordic welfare perspective. It argues that the challenges of the experience economy must be combined with the ambition that our cities are not reduced to entertainment engines. The urban life in the Nordic "welfare cities" must emphasise experiences that challenge, that urge reflection and that contain elements of learning just as the Nordic welfare city must strive for a socially and culturally inclusive urban life which includes offers for many different lifestyles and cultures in its diversity. Consequently, it is not simply a matter of creating a framework for entertainment and "Fun" or of creating architectural icon buildings that can bring fame to the city. The question is whether or not the experience economy can provide for a more versatile urban development in which architectural innovation goes hand in hand with social and cultural urban policy ventures.