Susan Fainstein, Harvard University
«This recent film captures the tensions in cities. Whereas once edgy,
Bohemian elements were seen as unproductive parts of the urban milieu,
since the publication of Richard Florida's book, The Rise of the Creative
Class, they are regarded by public officials and property interests as
stimuli for later investment and thus the progenitors of gentrification.
The result is that formerly low-cost areas quickly become fashionable and
expensive, forcing out the very people who originally made them appealing.
Tino Buchholz's documentary focuses on the city of Amsterdam. Although
Amsterdam always has been diverse and creative, it previously manifested
these qualities in the context of major social housing construction. Now
it is withdrawing from its earlier commitment to the right to the city for
all residents and promoting a transformation in the use of space to the
benefit of the well-to-do. "Creativity and the Capitalist City" offers a
combination of first-hand responses and more abstract analyses to the
changes occurring in Amsterdam as a consequence of the municipality's
commitment to becoming a creative city.»