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Green World Cities of Tomorrow
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The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation

The report on how global cities tackle climate change with cultural policies and programmes. Insights from the World Cities Culture Forum's latest report.

Paul Owens

Co-Founder and Director

Paul Owens is a leading international advisor and practitioner in cultural policy and creative economy. He is Co-Founder of BOP, and alongside his fellow directors he has pioneered now well-established methods to measure the impact of cultural policy. 

Paul Owens - Founder and Director  | BOP

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LOCATION

Global

CLIENT

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

SECTOR

Projects Sectors

This report looks at how major cities around the world are responding to climate change through cultural policies and programmes, and shares expert insights into the key climate challenges we face.


As cities recover from the impact of Covid-19 issues of sustainability must be at the heart of this – it is not enough to get back to where we were, but rather we must put the policies in place that will ensure that cities are thriving places to live and work for decades to come.


While the World Cities Culture Forum’s partners recognise this – more than half have declared a climate emergency and 57% have cultural policies that reference environmental challenges – and are taking actions such as investing in low-carbon cultural venues, commissioning artworks with environment themes, and providing relevant training for the sector, more needs to be done.


Climate change action must be embedded strategically and within management processes, including dedicated budgets, working across departments and monitoring and reporting requirements.


The report identifies five imperatives for cultural policy in a climate emergency:


  1. Climate Change is everyone’s job: all arms of government must take action. Institutional barriers need to be overcome, and cultural leaders need to find new ways of working across administrations so that sustainability is embedded in their policies and investment programmes.

  2. Hardwire climate impacts into every decision: use the tools and methods for measuring the energy efficiency, carbon emissions and long-term environmental impacts of culture, so the environmental footprint of every major cultural decision and investment is clear.

  3. Big cities need big ambition: City governments are ideally placed to identify innovations and best practice taking place at the local or neighbourhood level and scale it up across the city region to have a substantial impact.

  4. Tell the right stories: city governments need to tell strong and optimistic stories, to maximise participation and ensure that the cultural sector is fully engaged and enthused with delivery.

  5. Green infrastructure is cultural infrastructure: Urban culture is not distinct from the natural environment, it is part of it. Cultural planning and infrastructure must reflect the values of good stewardship and appreciation for the natural world, and be based around long-term considerations for a city’s future.

The Green World Cities of Tomorrow

The report published by the World Cities Culture Forum looks at how major cities around the world are responding to climate change through cultural policies and programmes.

Project Report

The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation

The report outlines the findings from a major study into the international activity of the Arts Council England-supported cultural ecosystem.

International Activity Report

Arts Council England

BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee for Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme. 

Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee

University of Sussex

The report on how global cities tackle climate change with cultural policies and programmes. Insights from the World Cities Culture Forum's latest report.

The Green World Cities of Tomorrow: Culture and Sustainability – Special Report Prepared for WCCF Global Conversation

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

Unique case guide is co-produced with the participating cities of WCCF, highlighting city examples and a global cities approach to evidenced-based policymaking.

Culture Counts: New Approaches to Evidence Based Cultural Policymaking in World Cities

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

Working alongside CRAIC, a new research and collaboration centre at Loughborough University, we conducted an extensive survey of virtual production assets throughout the United Kingdom to map the country’s growing ecosystem.

Mapping the UK's Virtual Production Ecosystem

Loughborough University

The World Cities Culture Report (WCCR) 2022 builds on the ground-breaking 2018 and 2015 Reports. It gives insights on the major challenges world cities facing.

World Cities Culture Report 2022

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

BOP's contribution to the 2nd edition of the report UNESCO's Global Creativity Report, examining policies safeguarding the creative and cultural sectors.

UNESCO's Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity Report – Addressing culture as a global public good

UNESCO

BOP’s updated Handbook for the Inter-American Development Bank sets out strategies for sustainability and urban resilience

Creative and Cultural Industries and Urban Revitalisation in the post-COVID era

Inter-American Development Bank - IDB

We investigated the potential impact of AI for European cultural and creative businesses. Explore the transformative opportunities AI brings to industries.

Opportunities and Challenges of AI for the Cultural and Creative Industries

European Commission

Research in the Gulf Co-operation Council States in collaboration with British Council and BOP Consulting helps identify opportunities for festival development.

An evidence-base for the growing Gulf festivals sector

British Council

BOP’s report on creating a healthy night-time economy for the Nanjing City Government demonstrates the importance of cross-cutting policies.

Creating Healthy Night-time Economies in World Cities

Nanjing Creative Center

Findings from our work at Great Ormond Street Hospital reveals how visual arts enhance the patient, visitor, and staff experience.

Creativity in health settings

GOSH Arts

Our new report for UNESCO sets out the huge global impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector. We estimate $750 billion lost for the CCI and 10 million job cuts.

Economic impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural and Creative Industries

UNESCO

New handbook 'Making Space for Culture' explores how world cities address the challenge of preserving cultural infrastructure while promoting growth.

How can cities make space for culture?

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

Our research for the National Trust suggests approximately 3,000 Grade II buildings at risk in urban areas and discusses the impact on heritage and communities.

Protect urban heritage to prevent growth in inequality

National Trust

Our review of the Scottish Animation Sector, commissioned by Creative Scotland, has just been published

Review of the Scottish Animation Sector

Creative Scotland

UK-wide study of visitor experience practice provides new benchmarks for cultural and visitor attractions

Sharing Operations and Visitor Experience insight

VE:Forum

Our ‘blueprint for growth’ strategy has just been published for the video games sector in the West Midlands.

What's next for a video games cluster?

ukie

The World Cities Culture Report 2018 explores the evolving role of culture in global cities. The report provides a view of the state of culture in our cities.

World Cities Culture Report 2018

World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF)

Our research for UNESCO's major report on Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Reshaping cultural policies

UNESCO

Related Projects

Research, Data and Insight, Strategy and Policy Design

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Paul Owens - Founder and Director  | BOP

Paul Owens

Co-Founder and Director

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