Rural Renaissance based on Creativity
According to an article about the Creative Class in Canada’s Countryside (www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Creative+Class+country/2030974/story.html), to capitalize on the opportunities that exist in rural and small town communities, we must recognize that the benefits and importance of creativity extend across the entire economy and are not limited to selected places or chosen industries. That is, creativity is as important for rural areas as it is for urban ones.
Several assets are highlighted as being strategic in contributing to the success of the creative economy in Rural Areas, namely:
- an educated work force;
- a significant base of educational institutions;
- an ethos of innovation (in agriculture, food health care, manufacturing);
- recreational and other amenities that contribute to a high quality of life;
- a culture of environmental sustainability (green agriculture, renewable energy, local food and local busines support);
- a regional focused economic development strategy that includes the creative economy;
Based on this framework, and in the adoption of a collaborative attitude focused on leveraging the strenghts of this territories, it’s possible to overcome the “less favoured region” syndrome and build new and sustainable development paths for rural areas.
