Creative Industry Districts

Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research

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South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany
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Jinliao He

Creative Industry Districts

An Analysis of Dynamics, Networks
and Implications on Creative Clusters
in Shanghai

Jinliao He
Department of Human Geography
University of Heidelberg Geographical
Institute
Heidelberg, Germany

ISSN 1879-7180
ISSN 1879-7199 (electronic)
ISBN 978-3-319-01975-8
ISBN 978-3-319-01976-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-01976-5
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954968
Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
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Foreword

The PhD study of Jinliao He represents one of the first empirical studies in English
on the development of creative industries (CI) in China by a Chinese scientist.
Jinliao He arrived in Germany with the idea of an economic geographical study on
networks and models in the Shanghai area. After several discussions he developed
a research proposal which combines economic and urban geography. His main
research question is how the more technically oriented CI on the one hand and the
more design-oriented CI on the other hand are embedded in the spatial urban environment. He found numerous similarities between the Chinese and the Western type
of development and also several interesting differences (i.e., the importance of
Guanxi). In seven chapters he spreads out a rich and colorful study on the rapid
and fascinating development of one of the most successful Chinese megacities.
University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany

Prof. Dr. Hans Gebhardt

Preface

As one of 80ers, I have grown up with the rapid rise of China over the past three
decades. Today, the country has reached crossroads in terms of economic and social
reconstruction. More and more people realize that maintaining the current status as
the worlds manufacturing factory will cause China to lose its advantage in the
global economy, due to the rising costs of labor and resources, as well as the depredating environmental effects. Great attention has been paid to China in transition,
including the recent discussion on made in China toward created in China. The
question remains how to achieve this. Challenges can be seen everywhere, e.g.,
overreliance on the traditional development mode, the defective gene hindering
political innovation, and the cultural and economic systems existing in China. These
pressing questions finally motivated me to choose the topic creative industry districts
in Shanghai for my PhD dissertation 4 years ago.
As a Chinese researcher in Human Geography, I challenged myself by not
adhering to the so-called mainstream theories of creative studies established in
Western society, though all of which are fundamentals. Rather, I applied the new
approaches from both new economic geography and urban studies within a
particular socioeconomic context of China. This brought me to the discussion of
some areas that have been scarcely explored, such as examination of the relevance
of Guanxi networks with spatial economy. This work is therefore expected to
contribute to some initial questions on a wider discourse of spatial studies of
creative industries in China and possible findings on urban redevelopment and
transformation responding to the rapid rise of the creative economy.
However, nothing could have been achieved without the following support and
contributions.
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Hans
Gebhardt for his guidance throughout the entire program and for welcoming and
supporting my research with an open door. Special thanks are also given to Prof.
Dr. Peter Meusburger, University of Heidelberg, and Prof. Dr. Robert Hassink,
University of Kiel, who provided some crucial suggestions for my work. I also
appreciate the comments from Dr. Annika Mattissek, Dr. Klaus Sachs, Prof.
Dr. Johannes Glckler, and Prof. Dr. Harald Bathelt at the beginning of my research.
vii

viii

Preface

In this study, several rounds of field investigations were carried out. They would
not have been nearly as efficient without the assistance from the survey groups in
Shanghai and Nanjing, made up of Wang Yun, Wang Yanjun, Lin Xiaoling, Wang
Mengke, Cheng Yixin, Xu Mengye, and Qian Lei.
I am grateful to Sima Gatea for her care in editing this book for language and
style. A special thank of mine also goes out to my colleagues who helped me with
my studies and overall life in Heidelberg. They are Thomas Bonn, Matthias Burs,
Diana Griesinger, Iris Belle, Henning Gtz, Guo Jie, Li Ming, Sun Yeran, Leila
Mousa, Julia Rsch, Thilo Wiertz, Holger Kppe, Mehdi Ebadi-Zahmatkesh, and
Warangkana Thawornwiriyatrakul (Pink).
Financially, this study is supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC),
the Excellence Initiative of the University of Heidelberg, and Die Kurt-HiehleStiftung Heidelberg. I sincerely appreciate all contributions and support.
Heidelberg, Germany
June 29, 2013

Jinliao He

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................
References ...................................................................................................

1
4

From the New Economy to Creative City ................................................

2.1 Linking the New Economy and Geography Considers ......................
2.1.1 Emergence and Shift of the New Economy
in the Postindustrial Era .........................................................
2.1.2 Does Geography Matter in the New Economy? ....................
2.1.3 The Relationship Between Geography
and the Creative Economy .....................................................
2.2 Creative Industries .............................................................................
2.2.1 Defining Creative Industries ..................................................
2.2.2 Attributes of Creative Industries ............................................
2.2.3 Overview of the World Creative Industries ............................
2.3 Districts or Clusters of Creative Industries ........................................
2.3.1 Theories of Industrial District and Cluster.............................
2.3.2 Creative Clusters ....................................................................
2.4 Creative Cities ....................................................................................
2.4.1 Creative Milieus in Urban Spaces ..........................................
2.4.2 Impacts of Creative Clusters on Urban Regeneration ............
2.4.3 Imaginary of Creative Cities ..................................................
References ..................................................................................................

5
5

Characterizing Shanghais Creative Industries and Districts ...............

3.1 Background and Development of Creative
Industries in China .............................................................................
3.1.1 Functional Transformation of Key Cities
in Coastal China .....................................................................
3.1.2 Park-Zone Economic Model in China ...................................
3.1.3 Overview of the Creative Industries in China ........................

6
6
7
10
10
14
17
19
19
26
31
31
33
34
36
43
43
44
45
46

ix

Contents

3.2

Creative Industries in Shanghai .........................................................

3.2.1 Shanghai as a Reemerging Global City:
History, Culture, and Cosmopolitanism .................................
3.2.2 New Engine of Shanghais Economy
by Creative Industries ............................................................
3.2.3 The Rapid Rise of Creative Workers
and Enterprises in Shanghai ...................................................
3.3 Districts of Creative Industries in Shanghai ......................................
3.3.1 Study Area..............................................................................
3.3.2 Identifying Creative Clusters in Shanghai .............................
3.3.3 Spatial Characteristics of Shanghais
Creative Industries .................................................................
References ...................................................................................................

51

Dynamics in Clustering of Creative Industries in Shanghai ..................

4.1 Economic Agglomeration Factors......................................................
4.1.1 Location Decision of Creative Enterprises in Shanghai ........
4.1.2 Important Roles of Economic Agglomeration Factors ..........
4.2 Social Agglomeration Factors ............................................................
4.2.1 Sociocultural Embeddedness .................................................
4.2.2 Important Roles of Social Agglomeration Factors.................
4.3 Comprehensive Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors .........................
4.3.1 Economic Factors vs. Social Factors .....................................
4.3.2 Interdependence Between Socioeconomic Factors ................
References ...................................................................................................

79
79
80
83
98
98
100
110
110
112
114

Network Analysis of Creative Clusters in Shanghai ...............................

5.1 Local-Regional-International Networks of Shanghais
Creative Clusters ................................................................................
5.1.1 The Labor Market ..................................................................
5.1.2 External Supplies and Intermediate Inputs ............................
5.1.3 Customers ..............................................................................
5.1.4 Collaborators ..........................................................................
5.1.5 Local-Regional-International Embeddedness
in the Creative Economy of Shanghai....................................
5.2 Social Networks in Tongji Design Circle...........................................
5.2.1 Origins and Growth of Tongji Design Circle .........................
5.2.2 Cluster Depth and Collective Learning
of Tongji Design Circle ..........................................................
5.2.3 Social Networks and Identity of Tongji Design Circle ..........
References ...................................................................................................

117

Impacts of Creative Industry Districts in Shanghai ...............................

6.1 Inner-City Renewal ............................................................................
6.1.1 Reconstruction of the Inner-City Landscape of Shanghai .....
6.1.2 Preservation of Industrial Heritage and Old Structures .........

145
145
146
149

51
56
61
64
64
66
68
75

117
118
120
121
123
126
128
128
131
135
144

Contents

xi

6.2
6.3

Urban Function Transformation and Social-Spatial Impacts .............

Imaging as Creative Shanghai............................................................
6.3.1 New Urban Culture of Pluralism ...........................................
6.3.2 Place Branding and Creative City Image ...............................
References ..................................................................................................

152
154
155
159
165

Discussion and Conclusions ......................................................................

7.1 Inspirations, Prospects, and Problems ...............................................
7.1.1 Inspirations.............................................................................
7.1.2 Prospects ................................................................................
7.1.3 Problems ................................................................................
7.2 Conclusions ........................................................................................
References ...................................................................................................

167
167
167
170
171
172
174

Appendix .........................................................................................................
Information of Interviewees from Shanghai .....................................................
Questionnaire I, To Creative Workers in Shanghai ...........................................
Section 1: Basic Data ..................................................................................
Section 2: Economic Factors .......................................................................
Section 3: Social Factors .............................................................................
Questionnaire II, To Decision Makers and Entrepreneurs
of Creative Firms ..............................................................................................
Section 1: Basic Data ...................................................................................
Section 2: Economic Factors .......................................................................
Section 3: Social Factors .............................................................................
Questionnaire III, To Residents and Visitors Who Are Familiar
with Shanghai City............................................................................................
Section 1, To Resident ................................................................................
Section 2, To Visitor ....................................................................................
Questionnaire IV, Survey for Understanding Attributes
of Creative Industries by Culture-Technology Dimensions ..............................
Questionnaire V, Survey for Tongji Design Circle ............................................

175
175
176
176
177
178

180
180
181
183
185
185
187
188
189

About the Author.............................................................................................. 193

Index .................................................................................................................. 195

Abbreviations

ADB
CBD
CCD
CCI
CCP
CID
DCMS
FDI
ICT
IPP
NBSC
NPC
R&D
SCIC
SCIDR
SDPA
SEITC
SHMG
TEFAF
UKTI
UNCTAD
UNESCO
WIPO
WTO

Asian Development Bank

Central Business District
Central Cultural District
Creative Industries and Innovation
Chinese Communist Party
Creative Industry District
Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (UK)
Foreign Direct Investment
Information and Communication Technology
Intellectual Property Protection
National Bureau of Statistics of China
National Peoples Congress
Research and Design
Shanghai Creative Industry Center
Shanghai Creative Industries Development Report
Shanghai Development Park Association
Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Commission
Shanghai Municipal Government
The European Fine Art Foundation
UK Trade & Investment
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Trade Organization

xiii