To be a creative city is now one of the most popular policy goals for urban governments, although the concept is ambiguous and critics are skeptical about its ability to regenerate urban areas. This paper examines the role that this concept plays in urban governance. First, I explain the political economic process called ‘glocalization’, which has enhanced inter-urban competition since the 1970s. Then I describe how urban politics has been transformed, taking on an entrepreneurial form, and how cultural policy is used to reconstruct an urban image to attract investment and human capital. Although rebuilding a city's image is a contested process, the ambiguity of the term ‘creative city’ as a policy issue is utilized to mobilize various political and cultural actors for urban growth.
