World Cities Cultural Audit

Professor Andy Pratt has just spent a few days in Shanghai (19-21 April 2012). He has been involved in a project called the World Cities Cultural Audit. This report provides a survey of the cultural resources and infrastructure of a range of world cities (Sao Paulo, Sydney, New York, Shanghai, Paris, London, Johannesburg and Tokyo). It is not a world ranking, but a multi-perspective view of the different ways that world cities and culture interact.
The report was initiated by the Greater London Authority’s cultural strategy team; but has participation from mayor’s offices in all the named cities. The data collection, and the consultation process has been masterminded by BOP consultancy.
This event was held at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and consisted of a discussion of the draft report (Andy advised on the methods, and wrote the introduction) with representatives of all the cities.
The final report will be launched within the Olympic games period with an event on 1 August 2012 at the ‘London House’ (known as City Hall the rest of the year).
Andy was previously involved in the first cultural audit which was initiated by the London Development Agency (2008), see http://static.london.gov.uk/mayor/culture/docs/cultural-audit.pdf .
The cities who have taken part in this project are proposing to restyle themselves as the ‘World cities cultural forum’ which will become the locus for future debate on these topics.