Cities Summit (5)

Doug Coupland gave a great keynote at lunch. As one twitter commentator put it, "massage for the mind especially for those people interested in the future of cities." Coupland talked at length about the need to differentiate one city from another. How? Culture, culture, culture. Seems obvious, but most public policy in Canada is still not as cognizant as it should be of the influence and benefits that can be gained from investing in the cultural infrastructure of cities. Coupland made a plea for supporting the arts. He talked about the radiating effects of cultural economies and showed how the great cities of the world understand this. A wonderful speech.