Concept of the "Kanazawa Round
(Kanazawa Creative City Conference)"
Background
With the approach of a new century and millennium, the idea of "the creative
city" has drawn international attention and focused the policies and plans
of major cities around the world. The "creative city" is one "full of
creativity, where independent economic infrastructure and unique culture
are being promoted",specifically by moving past the rapidly obsolescing
model of a metropolitan-centered national economy. Euro-America is already
enjoying the fruits of experiments with a society that nurtures the creative
power of arts and culture via the goal of "the creative city". Here in
Japan, the city of Kanazawa, notable for its proactive locally-focused
development, has made as its target "The Creative City of Industry and
Culture", and this example is being followed by other cities such as Kyoto
which have chosen "the creative city" as their goal for the 21st century.
In order to break through the confines of the closing century, and to
break open the frontiers of the coming century, we call for the gathering
of city planners, researchers, administrators, entrepreneurs, artists,
and citizens for an exchange of research, opinions, and experiences in
a "Kanazawa Round (Kanazawa Creative City Conference)". Current plans
call for the establishment of a "Round (Creative City) Society", which
will include participation from the academic and local communities, to
operate for ten years starting in 2001, and which will present the fruits
of its activities globally via member information and on the Internet.
Establishment of "Round (Creative City) Society" as Core Body
As the nucleus for future activities, we intend to establish a society,
to be called the "Round (Creative City) Society", with the intention of
aggressive promotion based on our own point of view, its offices and organs
to be based in Kanazawa. These offices and organs will manage the annual
sessions of the Kanazawa Round (Kanazawa Creative City Conference), and
develop materials for both internal and external distribution of related
information.
Kanazawa Round (Kanazawa Creative City Conference) Organization
* Intended Membership:
city planners from "creative cities" worldwide; scholars;
administrators;
private citizens;
businesspeople;
artists;
others
* Membership Structure:
registered members (from the Society - Chair, Secretary, etc.);
guests (invited especially for particular events);
general participants (audiences) from around the world
* Themes for Discussion:
industrial affairs (manufacturing, distribution, and service industries,
et al.); city planning (environmental concerns, traffic management, urban-suburban
growth, et al.);
cultural affairs (entertainment, "new culture", "old and new", tradition
and innovation, et al.);
living environment (quality of life) issues.
* Main Activities:
preparation for the annual Kanazawa Round (Kanazawa Creative City Conference)
for discussions by members from creative cities world-wide; management
of the conference itself, to be composed of speeches, lectures, panel
discussions, exhibitions, performances, awards, workshops, and refreshment
corners; general meetings of the Society