This Must Be The Place
The Role of Music and Cultural Infrastructure in Creating Better Future Cities for All of Us, in partnership with Legal and General.
This is the first in-depth report on the role of music and culture across the future cities debate and a landmark report linking creativity with construction. With it, we aim to develop a new Future Cities model, one that builds music and culture in to the core of a place, rather than bolt it on after its design, development and implementation.
Our future cities are cities of communities and creators. Our cities must be cities of agency, cities of diversity and cities of experience. But they must also be viable. We believe bringing music and culture to the forefront of the development process and envisaging its impact on our places in 5, 10 and 15 years will make places better. To do this, this report provides 10 key core values for any architect, planner, urbanist, developer, city council member or citizen as a guide.
This report was written in partnership with Legal and General.
Comments on This Must Be The Place
“Without culture, we risk losing our sense of place and identity. This study brings forth thinking that is critically needed in order to make our communities vibrant and healthy. Essential reading for anyone working in this space.”
— Tateo Nakajima, Director of Culture and Venues, Arup
“Cities continue to grow both in scale and density in many parts of the world. The role of culture as a city’s soul has never been more important, and reports such as this one have finally started to set out both the economic and social benefits it brings. As urban development gains pace, it is crucial that music and culture are baked in to planning decisions. Culture is the lifeblood of urban experience, and must be nurtured if we want our cities to thrive.”
— Paul Pacifico, CEO, Association of Independent Music
“Entertainment, enjoyment and a sense of place are more important than ever to make retail and leisure environments welcoming for consumers. Music and cultural experiences are a critical part of making town centres successful”
— Harry Pickering, Head of UK Retail and Leisure, Schroders
