ABSTRACT
This chapter is a practical explanation of the principles and practice employed in considering, developing, and establishing Cultural Quarters in cities, as these spatial phenomena are becoming increasingly noticeable in city branding. Many of the concepts and arguments involved have been critically analyzed over the last fi fteen years or so, and are usefully summarized in City of Quarters, Urban Villages in the Contemporary City (Bell and Jayne 2004). In addition, there has been considerable interest in the creative cities concept, which has been thoroughly examined by Charles Landry’s Creative Cities (2000) and Justin O’Connor’s The Creative City (1999). There is no attempt to cover this ground again here, or to theorize the Cultural Quarter phenomena in terms of branding. Instead, I provide an explanation of what Cultural Quarters are, how they have come about, and what they mean for the city. I emphasize case studies from the north of England where there is a recognized need to regenerate the nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution primary manufacturing towns in order to avert continuing social and economic decline. These are, in part, rebranding and reprofi ling projects that involve the development of Cultural Quarters.
