Philosophy of Digital Man and Digital Society - 2024

Conceptualizing the Philosophy of the Creative City as a Catalyst for Digital Technology Development

Directions for Implementing Foreign Experience in the Philosophy of Creative Cities

We live amidst constant challenges and transformations occurring globally and within each city. Therefore, creativity must be harnessed to achieve shifts in our worldview and modes of thinking that structure our existence and guide our lives, leading to changes within the city itself. We yearn to inhabit a city that evolves before our eyes, where youth would not wish to depart, and where transformations occur at every level of urban life.

The development of a city extends beyond mere architecture, land use, surveying, topography, real estate evaluation, construction, and other management aspects; it is an art form encompassing all varieties of creativity. Contemporary challenges have accelerated urban development, as globalization and powerful digital tools with their immense potential reshape cities, society, and the social fabric, as well as modes of communication and contact, the economy, and cultural life, including cultural institutions. The entire infrastructure of the digital age is transforming, grounded in information and communication technologies that must be reimagined to meet the needs of the creative city. This requires decisive actions to alter the urban environment, devising a plan for transformation and a strategic trajectory to create a comfortable, viable, and creative atmosphere. Creative cities must creatively mobilize their resources and transform them for the benefit of citizens, engaging robust digital platforms, social media, and open data to address community challenges. The aim of developing a creative city is centered on creativity, culture, and the exploration of urban transformation issues.

It is essential to elucidate how the components and ideas of the concept of the creative city have progressed, examining how various elements of this concept interconnect, forming the paradigm of the creative city. Franco Bianchini's article, "Reflections on the Origins, Interpretation, and Development of the Idea of the Creative City," elaborates on this in detail.

As early as the 1980s, people began seeking connections between specific geographical locations, their cultures, and creativity in urban development. The philosophy of the creative city is founded on numerous approaches, including Gunnar Thorkvist's definition of the creative environment (1983), a term first used by Hippolyte Taine in 1965, and the innovative environment studied by Philip Widal and his colleagues at GREMI.

In 1985, Anderson utilized creativity in urban development, exemplifying Stockholm, where creative activities flourish and cultural and creative industries are born, drawing attention to the role of the creative milieu. G. Thorkvist (1983) developed the concept of the creative environment, identifying four primary characteristics:

1. Information;
2. Knowledge;
3. Competence;
4. Confidence— the creation of something new, which encompasses the previous three elements.

Peter Hall, in his work "Cities in Civilization" (1998), mapped out significant cities during their zenith, such as Athens, Florence, London, Vienna, Paris, and Berlin, tracing their development in conjunction with innovative environments. Attention was subsequently directed towards the formation of high-tech clusters and the development of technological or scientific parks. In the late 1950s, Silicon Valley in the U.S. led the way, followed by Sophia Antipolis near Nice in the 1960s, Tsukuba in Japan in the 1970s, and numerous Chinese towns in the 1980s, along with several technopolises in Scandinavian countries in the 1990s. In 1989, Landry undertook the project "London: A World City Moving into the 21st Century," evaluating the cultural potential and positions of New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Tokyo. He later authored "Innovative and Sustainable European Cities," wherein he tested various models to assess the degree of innovation in numerous projects across Europe, anticipating changes that would impact the greening of the economy and planning practices.

Jane Jacobs was the first to address the issue of building highways and towers, as the intricate ecological fabric of the city fosters interactions between economic viability and public life. This shift helped transform the urban planning paradigm and became a rationale for enhancing the creativity of cities. In 1988, two conferences were held: 1) organized by the British-American Association of Arts in Glasgow, titled "Art and Cities Changing the Order for Urban Renewal"; 2) held in Melbourne, "Creative City," which discussed integrating art and cultural values into the urban development planning process. This notion was supported by David Yankelovich, who argued that cities should be effective and honest while simultaneously encouraging creativity among their residents.

Since the 1980s, Charles Landry and his peers have begun to develop a model of the creative city as a practical urban project, wherein creativity has become a resource for urban development. A significant moment in the path to a city's creativity during the 1980s was the emergence of the artistic community asserting its economic importance and influencing the economy. Robert McNulty, founder of "Partners for Sustainable Cities," launched a program documenting the economic value of design and cultural assets, demonstrating that community quality of life is linked to economic and cultural development.

In the late 1970s, UNESCO began exploring the cultural sector and its contributions to the economy, thereby elevating the status of culture within urban policy programs. The crucial realization was that art began to be viewed as part of the industrial sector, encompassing music, performing arts, publishing, and the film industry. The recognition of creativity as vital for urban dwellers and the economy gradually gained traction. Glasgow became the first city project to include the phrase "creative city," influencing the development of the cultural economy.

Australia was the first country to take a serious interest in creativity. In 1994, Prime Minister Paul Keating initiated the "Creative Nation" program to declare the continent's openness to the world and the pride of its society in its multicultural policies. Australia also became the first nation to implement cultural resources and cultural planning in practice, developing comprehensive local community planning. The paradigm of "art in urbanism" (2006) played a significant role, evolving into a global movement supported by the creative communities of cities such as Glasgow, Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Huddersfield, resulting in creative city programs. We also emphasize the preliminary authorship research by Voronkova, Nikitenko, and Oleksenko on the problems of global urbanism in the context of cultural development, technology, and the formation of a creative class.

The methodology for analyzing the creative city as a factor in digital technology development involves complexity methodology and Agile methodology, which aid in addressing the intricate challenges of urban environments, fostering creativity and innovation. We examine this issue through an axiological approach that elucidates the cultural resources of the city, representing the city's raw materials, values, and cultural settings encompassed within the notion of "cultural city planning."

The strategic planning method enables individuals to think creatively and unconventionally to enhance the city's viability, comfort, and development, guided by human imagination and talent. To analyze the creative city, a comprehensive strategy must be employed, extending well beyond architecture and design, comparable in complexity and scale to urban genetic engineering.

The challenges of the present accelerate the evolution of the digital world; digital tools, with their immense potential, are transforming cities, society, communal life, modes of communication and interaction, the economy, cultural life, and cultural institutions. One method employed in practice by leading countries has been cultural planning, which has even found its way into the lexicon of urban planners, designers, and local government communities.

We find ourselves amidst a global transformation driven by digital change—legal, political, and economic—which alters the very infrastructure of the digital city, fundamentally reliant on information and communication technologies. Cities must revive their leadership roles, intellectual and creative resources, and restore their distinctive cultures. For this, leaders and organizations must emerge to devise a plan for change or a trajectory for strategic development. Achieving this goal requires leaders, a team of like-minded individuals, connection with the community, and the establishment of enduring ties with the public sector, commerce, academia, and government. Such partnerships foster flexibility in the development of creative cities and help formulate a plan for transformation that enables the city to flourish creatively. To achieve this, it is essential to reassess the city's capabilities and harness the power of robust social media and interactive platforms.

In times of change, every city must ask itself: "What is the role and purpose of my city?" Ken Robinson's work, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture, and Education, played a crucial role in emphasizing the importance of creativity in education, which is wholly responsible for the creative level and resources of the individual. Indeed, as the world shifts, it becomes necessary to reevaluate the role of cities and their resources, as well as to comprehend how urban planning operates. The traditional paradigm of urban development, formulated by scholars prior to this time, is now contrasted with the new paradigm of the "creative city," which underscores the cultural resources of the city and the realization of its contemporary role.

The idea of "cyclical urban creativity" encompasses five equal stages:

1. the expansion of ideational capabilities;
2. the implementation of ideas into practice;
3. the creation of networks;
4. the establishment of platforms for realization;
5. the development of markets and the expansion of democracy.

All the ideas of "cyclical urban creativity" aimed to be realized within the realms of economics, education, and community development. Since the year 2000, these ideas have become attractive to a wide audience, fostering the growth of creative sectors in the economy and enhancing the true power of art.

The creative class serves as a factor in enhancing human capital within the context of smart city development. Today, smart education assumes significant importance as a catalyst for the creative development of individuals in a digital society that demands innovative thinking. To find answers to fundamental contemporary issues, it is essential to cultivate creative thinking and believe in one’s ability to transform the surrounding world. The model of creative education, as a factor in the development of human capital, is particularly relevant and is being implemented in a digital society that requires an appropriate model for creative individuals. Creativity can focus on diverse objectives; therefore, it is necessary to develop applied creativity and enhance it through various proposals and methodologies that facilitate a continuous stream of new ideas.

To provide the most vital component for innovative problem-solving, mechanisms of smart education must be established, withstanding the ever-present challenges of the global market. This necessitates unlocking the creative potential of individuals as a guarantee of economic growth, which calls for the realization of the creative essence of humanity.

Creativity, as the art of "living and culture through algorithms," forms the foundation for the realization of smart education, aiding in the discovery of new knowledge to enable the creation and development of various innovative breakthrough ideas and proposals. Regardless of the size or scope of new ideas, their formulation will open new possibilities across any field of endeavor, but this requires individuals to master their creative impulses through creative skills and modes of thinking, set smart objectives, and bring innovative ideas to market. The interplay of thought and action, the application of a creative approach, and creative thinking signifies assured creativity—the capacity not only to generate new ideas but also to devise innovative solutions to complex problems in a creative city. Harnessing creative energy as one of the most valuable resources of human capital aids in seeking new solutions to prioritize human interests within the context of smart education.

Thus, among the authors of works that delve deeply into the scientific nature of this issue, we identify Klaus Schwab, Richard Florida, Mark Goodman, and Everett Rogers. We hold in high regard the contributions of Everett M. Rogers, a leading researcher in the field of innovation, who teaches and explores the diffusion of innovations and their viability. His book, Diffusion of Innovations, which was deemed "classical" in 1990, has become one of the ten classic texts on innovation, recognized as a "significant book of the 20th century" in the realm of innovation studies. At the same time, we draw upon works with a journalistic character, such as the "scientific bestsellers" of Bob Gordon and others.

In the writings of these authors, there exists a contentious perspective on innovations that have evolved from the First Industrial Revolution to the Fourth. In general, the essence of innovation is distilled into newly created or improved competitive technologies, whose products or services, along with organizational and technical solutions of a production, administrative, commercial, or other nature, significantly enhance the structure and quality of production and/or social sectors. Thus, it is imperative to cultivate the creativity of human capital. We employ innovation as a primary characteristic of human capital, oriented toward creativity and artistic expression, and the search for the new.

The most sought-after traits of creativity include the establishment of conditions that foster competitive advantages, such as flexibility, independence, originality of thought, a propensity for experimentation, inventiveness, critical thinking, a willingness to take risks, and the ability to devise alternative solutions to challenges. Unfortunately, in contemporary Ukrainian society, suitable conditions for the formation of a creative class have yet to be established, as government funding for education and science continues to diminish. However, strategic programs for the development of digital technologies up to 2030, sustainable development, creative industries, and innovation-oriented information society strategies have been adopted at the state level, aimed at fostering a creative class in Ukraine.

Creative thinking serves as the intellectual bedrock for technological breakthroughs, without which the establishment of an innovative information society cannot transpire. The terminology surrounding the study of the creative class is remarkably extensive, possessing an interdisciplinary character that includes terms such as smart education, human capital, social capital, algorithmic thinking, and algorithmic culture—terms that significantly deepen this discourse.

The formation of a creative class as a factor in the enhancement of human capital within the context of smart education is facilitated by the nonlinear methodology of complexity, which constitutes a synthesis of theoretical and practical knowledge, skills, and competencies cultivated through education. The conceptual model of creative education as a factor in the innovative-intellectual development of smart society and smart individuals demands consideration of the innovative component, which is particularly crucial for the creative development of the individual and necessitates the application of a methodology capable of elucidating innovations, innovative development, and the conditions for achieving sustainable growth.

In place of the old concepts of industrial and post-industrial society, new methods and approaches emerge that align with the innovative, informational, and digital society. The Agile methodology, serving as the theoretical foundation for the innovative component of smart education, is formed on the principles of complex adaptive systems and flexible learning, underpinned by the utilization of information and computer technologies. This methodology aims to comprehend smart education as a complex social, economic, and cultural organism, as well as a dynamic process.

The creative class, as a factor in enhancing human capital, represents a formidable economic force that is gaining momentum in contemporary society. The creative class of the creative city comprises representatives of creative professions who increasingly influence not only the development of individual organizations but also the prosperity of cities, regions, and states as a whole, resulting from a thriving economy, as defined by Richard Florida.

It should be clarified that the creative industries encompass individuals from creative professions associated with programming, mathematics, architecture, IT engineering, the arts, design, media, as well as business, finance, law, and healthcare, including scientists. To unveil the role of the creative class, we have analyzed its essence from various perspectives—not solely from the standpoint of professions but also from organizations and enterprises—thus broadening the horizons of understanding.

We specify that we attribute to the development of creative industries the "material means" and "consumable resources," as these represent the infrastructure upon which the creative potential of a city is built. As our analysis indicates, creativity cannot flourish without the requisite material base, particularly an information infrastructure.

The creative class constitutes a segment of the middle class that has emerged as a significant social group in highly developed countries (in the United States, it comprises 30% of the workforce). The principal conditions for the development of the creative class include economic factors, the advancement of information and computer technologies, creative industries, and education. The secret to the growth of the creative class, according to Florida, lies within a complex of three Ts—tolerance, technology, and talent. These characteristics foster the development of creative potential, grounded in the knowledge of a high-tech economy, which necessitates the presence of creative thinking and the capacity for unconventional problem-solving.

The development of smart education as a factor in the formation of the creative class in smart cities promotes the cultivation of a cultural space where creative thinking thrives, serving as the foundation of the "creative class." Richard Florida illustrates in his book "The Creative Class" that in the United States, this class accounts for up to 30%, with its functions expanding alongside the growth of creative industries.

Notably, this class, according to Florida, includes scientists, engineers, educators, writers, artists, actors, designers, architects, cultural representatives, and experts from analytical centers capable of crafting societal development strategies and influencing systemic changes within cities. Today, the concept of the "smart city" is being implemented, wherein all the aforementioned phenomena are realized. Thus, at the level of highly developed countries, the concepts for the development of "smart cities" have been adopted, and Ukraine should not lag behind in the implementation of smart phenomena. In Ukraine, concepts for digitalization by 2030 and artificial intelligence have been adopted, necessitating the development of "smart education," "smart tourism," and "smart culture," aimed at achieving new technological breakthroughs that, in our opinion, are becoming realities of life.

At the same time, it is essential to acknowledge the negative trends, as COVID-19 has adversely affected intellectual capabilities, resulting in a syndrome of "learning inadequacy" and cognitive deficits in creative thinking. COVID-19, as a global issue facing humanity, has precipitated serious challenges to mental health, including depressive disorders. Social isolation and decreased physical and mental activity have increased the risk of deteriorating cognitive abilities among urban populations.

For this reason, we endeavor to draw attention to the term "smart" to orient our understanding of what a city should be. We note that the issues stemming from COVID-19 are also linked to the decline in tourist activity, perceiving this problem as global and one that necessitates deeper exploration into the creativity of cities and digital technologies.

The formation of a model of creative education is essential for identifying a new type of interaction between individuals and society, which has led to the emergence of new forms of communication linked to informatization processes, incorporating a synthesis of computer science, cybernetics, electronic programming, anthropology, sociology, and social philosophy.

The model of creative smart education and smart cities is operationalized through the implementation of information resources and their management. This model serves as a catalyst for the innovative-intellectual development of smart cities, fostering an innovative culture, creative thinking, cognitive reflection, new ideas, and unconventional approaches to support and embrace creative solutions. At the core of this model lies the development of smart technologies that engender the emergence of new sectors and enhance the sophistication of smart cities. Therefore, modern institutions of higher education must respond to these trends and facilitate the formation of new professional competencies, which entails developing new electronic textbooks, managing content and educational resources, employing models for "active learning," and utilizing software that fosters creative learning conditions.

Smart education encompasses various forms of culture: informational, innovative, digital, algorithmic, virtual, and clip culture, which represent components of human culture and elements reflecting contemporary cultural forms associated with the formation of a new type of society—an innovative-informational society.

Smart education acts as a transnational technology, fostering the development of informational (digital) competencies and the ability to navigate big data. The model of smart education cultivates essential skills and competencies within individuals, promotes the skills necessary for a digital smart city, and nurtures creative competencies linked to communication, digitalization, and informatization.

The development of skills and competencies in the modern creative individual necessitates a profound transformation of the educational system, aimed at enhancing human (intellectual) capital, critical thinking, and creativity. A creative individual must possess digital competencies, which encompass the ability to analyze information critically and evaluate the reliability and authenticity of sources amid the exponential growth of information. Additionally, this individual should develop analytical thinking, grounded in cognitive and breakthrough ICT, which encompasses knowledge, information, experience, and ultimately shapes human capital.

Human capital, as a resource and potential characteristic of the creative individual and the creative class, intertwines closely with the concepts of capital, resource, and potential, despite their distinctions. We consider the definition of human capital as the natural development of the individual and a synthesis of the concepts of human resource, which comprises a collection of skills, abilities, personal traits, and motivations of individuals. These elements are employed across all spheres of human activity, contributing to increased productivity and influencing the development of creative potential to satisfy diverse needs of both individuals and society. At their core lies the expansion of human capabilities, intertwined with the material conditions of existence, forms of communication, and self-realization, manifested in various forms of human activity—education, culture, tourism.

A subset of human capital is social capital, which also incorporates an individual’s cultural capital and the values that impact the economy, alongside a composite of norms, social connections, institutions, and trust within society. Human capital is viewed as a measure of society in terms of its quality, shaped by an intricate network of social relationships that foster both qualitative and quantitative interactions.

Human capital develops at the macro level (state institutions, legal norms), meso level (regions), and micro level (firms), contributing to enhanced productivity. The concepts of intellectual, human, and social capital should be regarded as components of the innovative-creative potential of the individual, cultivated through smart education. Human capital directly pertains to individuals and encompasses knowledge, practical skills, and creative abilities necessary to meet diverse human and societal needs, classifiable as capital of the individual, organization, or nation. Intellectual capital shares similarities with physical capital, as it emerges from the investment of resources and yields returns, thereby requiring expenditure for its maintenance.

The creative-innovative potential of the individual represents a complex system, comprising numerous subparts or substructures that interact within defined parameters and are capable of evolving through personal experience. The innovative-creative potential of the individual is spurred by technological advancements, leading to the creation of new software products, the establishment of new business values, algorithmic thinking, and an algorithmic culture as a system that consumes and transforms information, engendering innovations.

Human capital can be examined at the individual level (individual capital), organizational level, and state level as a composite of cultivated and developed abilities and personal traits acquired through knowledge and skills, which includes:

1. Health capital (biophysical) and labor capital;
2. Consumer capital (relationships within the organization with its consumers and a system of business communication);
3. Structural capital (technical and software resources, systems for the training and retraining of personnel);
4. Organizational-entrepreneurial capital (business acumen, innovation, organizational skills, high responsibility, energy and willpower, risk-taking abilities);
5. Cultural-moral capital (a collective of intellectual capabilities, education, skills, moral qualities, and the professional training of the individual);
6. Intellectual capital (the sum of knowledge, practical skills, creative abilities, and intellectual property—patents, know-how, creative sectors, trademarks, software—that ensure competitiveness).

Human capital incorporates social and cultural capital, serving as the foundation of a knowledge economy, essential for its formation and the creation of a city’s creative space.

Social capital constitutes a set of social relations, pertaining to institutions, relationships, social norms, and values that shape the social characteristics of society or organization, determining the forms and directions of social interaction, and reflecting dominant social norms and the distribution of values. It includes communities, business structures, and production associations, along with social networks; collaboration, mutual trust, and assistance; being a product of organized interaction (which may integrate into the human capital of an organization or firm).

In a general sense, human potential is the totality of material, technological, informational, and innovative resources that underpin the activities of an organization or enterprise, highlighting:

1. Human potential—the capability of the individual to manifest theoretical possibilities in practice, the qualities of the person that impact outcomes;
2. Creative potential;
3. Strategic potential;
4. Innovative potential.

Human resources (money, energy, knowledge, and time) are viewed as factors contributing to personal growth and enabling the execution of any activity that yields a specific outcome. The term "resource" is closely aligned with the concept of "potential as a collective of all possibilities," yet it is not identical to it and is often referred to as a factor, meaning that which defines.

The innovative-creative potential of the individual is driven by technological advancement, which engenders the creation of new software products, establishes new business values, and fosters algorithmic thinking and culture as a system that consumes and transforms information, thereby generating innovations.

The creative and innovative potential of the individual encompasses the concept of "education in the digital society," which comprises the following approaches to analysis:

1. Epistemological: This approach synthesizes knowledge, skills, and competencies within professional education, self-education, and information technologies, enabling individuals to manage information and generate new knowledge.
2. Reflective: It involves analyzing causal relationships within personal, educational, and professional spheres of life.
3. Motivational: This approach ensures the stability of integrated informational activities, guiding individuals toward a consciously chosen educational path.
4. Creative: At its core lies a purpose-driven creativity, determined by the essence of the "constantly evolving individual," which represents a developmental vector for personal growth.
5. Normative-Evaluative: This approach maintains equilibrium within the context of an innovative and information-driven society, supporting a system of informational and educational activities that mitigates the impact of destabilizing factors in the urban informational environment and ensures adherence to legal relationships.

Thus, the interaction between the digital individual and the digital society has demonstrated the necessity for transforming educational organization, incorporating digital technologies that have been developed over the past 20-30 years, and making substantial investments in education as a means of developing human capital, thereby creating conditions conducive to urban creativity.

Artificial intelligence technologies significantly enhance the contemporary urban landscape, unveiling entirely new possibilities as both the individual and the world undergo profound transformations. New forms of interaction among individuals, culture, education, and machines form the foundation for the emergence of the digital individual and its representation, cultivating creativity as a key factor in the digital city. These innovative interactions foster the development of creativity within the creative city itself.