The psychological make-up of a city

I wonder what the best approach would be to determine the psychological make-up of a city. In Oslo and Warsaw I took the following approach. I asked some key cultural innovation drivers to describe their city to me as if it were a person. 'If Oslo is your friend, what would he/she be like?' This is a branding approach, making personae for a product. The problem is that cultural innovators are just one group to ask. Probably, immigrants would have a completely different picture of the city. Carol Coletta (CEOs for Cities) told me in Tilburg that she liked the idea that Manchester described itself as a collection of short stories, because the city (or any city) is too complex to make 1 single story. Is that the risk of all citybranding? That no single idea can capture something as organic and complex as a city?

Working in Brno

I'm in my hotelroom in Hotel Bila Ruz in Brno, going over my notes for the speech at Future Cities Forum today. Met Monika last night and she had great news: the fantastic art deco Scheibler powerstation in Lodz will get UNESCO world heritage status. At last! If ever you could see a miracle place - it is this cathedral of steam. And Monika, Kris from the Lodz Art Center and Agnieszka Wlazel from River Cities, Warsaw, will be getting together in september for as conference on creative cities development.

How do you weather a perfect storm?

Cities can be hard hit by the recession. So, what about Warsaw? The number one business city and building site of eastern Europe has seen severe setbacks of late. And all just when the phoenix city was unleashing its creative potential. I'll be back there in May, trying to find out what the urban innovators are up to. What would you do when you are out of a job?

Warsaw has a borderline personality

Did you ever hear someone speak of their city as a borderline personality? I did. Creative change agents in Warsaw speak of their city like that. And they still love it. Warsaw is a freaky city in a way. It has a beautiful old part, but it only dates back 50 years as it was built from scratch and rubble and reconstructed meticulously, like Montgomery Clift's face, after the war by the Russians. Then there's the part that is called the center and which is an almost American grid lay out of endless thru-roads, shiny offices and malls that pretend progress and development. Then there is the Parisian area that connects the two, where the palaces and best churches are. And then there is the part across the river, across the bridges that span the Vistula. It's Praga and it's original, pre-war and huge parts of it are run down. Some of it to such a degree that Polanski could shoot The Pianist there without much extra dereliction added. Still, Warsaw gets under your skin. If you are willing to look beyond business and the malls there is a lot of counter culture going on. There is a city of talent and 'can do' out there for those who want to look well. I love Warsaw and I can't say why. It just sticks to you in the energy of the people. It is bubbling to the surface. If, in the 21st century, a city's future is its face, what would the future be for a city with many faces?