Designing the dragon or does the dragon design? An analysis of the impact of creative industries on urban development of Beijing

Abstract

Inspired by work on the creative class and creative cities, cities in Europe and Northern America have started to invest in creativity in general and in design in particular. Much less is known about the role of creativity in emerging economies. This paper analyses the role of design in the socio economic development of Beijing. We identify main success factors and barriers for design businesses and show how design can be used for socio economic development. Backed up by state investments and fast decision making, neighbourhoods have been revitalised and modern iconic landmarks are added to the collection of old monuments. Moreover, priority has changed from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Created in China’, allowing the country’s industries to move upwards in the value chain. Nevertheless, and despite of the presence of key research institutes, further developments of the design sector and the use of design in other sectors are major challenges laying ahead.