EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - The creative class and regional economic growth in the Netherlands

The creative class and regional economic growth in the Netherlands

Introduction

Three years ago the American professor of economic development Richard Florida introduced the concept of the ‘creative class’. The University of Utrecht has investigated to what extent Florida’s ideas hold good for the Netherlands.

Description

In Florida’s figures the Netherlands has proportionally the largest creative class in the world. However, international comparisons are not wholly reliable because definitions of the creative class tend to vary. This study uses a detailed operationalisation of the creative class and comes out at eighteen per cent of the working population of the Netherlands.

Background information

To measure the size of the creative class in The Netherlands, in order to make a comparison with other (European) countries possible.

Methodology

The investigation addressed three key questions:

How large is the creative class in the Netherlands and in a number of European countries and how significant is its role in the economy?
What factors display coherence with the creative class in the Netherlands and a number of European countries at the regional level?
To what extent does the creative class contribute to economic development at the regional level in the Netherlands?

Conclusions

The study shows that Florida’s theories do not in all cases apply fully to the Netherlands. The analysis demonstrates incontrovertibly that openness (towards newcomers) and tolerance (towards liberal and creative activities) in a Dutch region are of great importance in determining the geographical spread of the creative class. However, differences in the presence or absence of social and cultural amenities turned out not to have any demonstrable effect in this regard. Local authorities wishing to attract a creative class through investment in cultural amenities are thus probably wasting their money. It is a goal that is probably more readily achieved by investing in social infrastructure and facilitating tolerance.

Contact info

University of Utrecht - Section of Economic Geography, Faculty of Geosciences
http://www.geo.uu.nl
R.A. Boschma, tel. +31 (0)30 253 2896

Publication date

17/08/2005

Researcher

I. van Aalst, O. Atzema, R.A. Boschma, F. Heinz and F.G. van Oort

The creative class and regional economic growth in the Netherlands (PDF, Dut, 1.1 MB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Keywords

Specific sectors