ABSTRACT
The last decade has seen the rise and rise of the cultural and creative industries in the UK:1 as a construct for policy-making and redefinitions of nationhood; as a sector with economic power and a sexy, BoHo, progressive, inclusive agenda; and as a tool for regeneration and renewal.2 This embrace with all things creative is part gloss and part realization of the regenerative potential of a sector which, though roughly-hewn as a policy construct by the UK government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and others, does include major growth areas for the UK economy. More particularly, the creative industries sector is often viewed as a key driver in the economic, social and definitional transformation of UK cities and specific urban districts. It is rich with innovation, often underpinned by new technology, focused through research and experimentation, most successful in specific milieux. What is more, it employs many people, makes a lot of money and, significantly, it sells ideas: ideas of lifestyle; ideas of identity; ideas of the city; and ideas of particular places and spaces - districts, locales, neighbourhoods, networks, clusters and quarters.
