Residential Preferences of the Creative Class of Rasht and the Factors Influencing It

Document Type : Research article - extracted from the dissertation

Authors

1 Master of Science of Geography and Urban planning, Department of Geography, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

In new urban theories, what causes the economic development of a region is the presence of creative human forces in that region. Meanwhile, traditional factors such as geographical location, access, etc., are dimmed because the creative class's presence in a city can overshadow other factors of economic growth. Therefore, paying attention to the residential characteristics of the creative class and their preferences for living in a specific location in cities is one of the important issues in the urban development. The study has evaluated the factors influencing the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the factors influencing the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city. It was a descriptive-analytical study. Data was collected through documentary and field studies. 384 questionnaires were distributed among the creative class members in Rasht city. The data were analyzed using Friedman, Sign, and Wilcoxon tests. Findings showed that classic factors significantly contributed to the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city, and the influence of soft factors was less than the classic factors. Also, the findings of the research have shown that the desire and preference of the creative class to live in the inner layers of the city is high, and as we move from the initial layers of the city to the periphery, the concentration of the residential preference of the creative class has decreased. According to the results, the neighborhoods where people of the creative class of Rasht city prefer to live included Manzariyeh, Golsār and Giulān Boulevard, Moalem, Bazaar, Cāctous, Ziābri, Felestin, Nikmarām, and Park Shahr.
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In new urban theories, what causes the economic development of a region is the presence of creative human forces in that region. Meanwhile, traditional factors such as geographical location, access, etc., are dimmed because the creative class's presence in a city can overshadow other factors of economic growth. Therefore, paying attention to the residential characteristics of the creative class and their preferences for living in a specific location in cities is one of the important issues in the development of cities. This study has evaluated the factors influencing the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city. The basic purpose of this research is to identify the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht according to the classical and soft factors. This article seeks to answer the following questions:

What factors influence the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city? Are the classical factors more important than soft factors?
Does moving away from the city center decrease the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city?
Is there any difference between the residential preferences of the creative class and their current residence in Rasht city?

Methodology
It was a descriptive-analytical study. In terms of duration, it was cross-sectional research Data was collected through documentary and field studies. The hypotheses of this research have been analyzed and tested using SPSS software. After some modifications and alterations, the validity of the researcher-made questionnaire has been confirmed by the professors of urban affairs. Cronbach's Alpha was computed to assess the questionnaire reliability (α = 0.706), indicating the questionnaire's appropriate and high reliability. 384 questionnaires have been distributed among the creative class members in Rasht, and the data have been analyzed using SPSS software and Friedman, Sign, and Wilcoxon's statistical tests. The research variables were extracted using documentary studies, which included 2 dimensions of classical and soft criteria, 16 sub-criteria, and 59 items. Soft criteria included: factors related to leisure, cultural facilities, neighborhoods with outstanding artistic features in which people feel very comfortable, having many restaurants and cafes, and having the characteristics of freedom and the capacity to accept cultural diversity. Classical criteria also included demographic and economic factors that effectively choose the location of normal employees.
Results and discussion
Friedman's test was used to measure the effect of soft and classical factors on the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht City. There is a difference in the residential preference of the creative class of Rasht city referring to the value of the Chi-Square test (38.76, P>0.05). According to the mean rank of the two general categories of classical factors (1.66) and soft factors (1.34), the effect of classical factors on residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city is more than soft factors. The most important factors in the residential preferences of the creative class included the characteristics of the residence, busy streets full of facilities, environmental issues, life cycle, security, tolerance and diversity, locality and health. Also, these factors have the least importance in the residential preferences of the creative class: Ethnic-linguistic factors, Cost of Living, Historical factors, Income, Marginalization, Educational-artistic spaces, Workplace access and Recreational spaces.
The value of the Z test and the significance level (S=0.000) indicated the significance of the apparent difference in the selection of residential preferences of the creative class. Also, in addition to the significance of the difference between the residential preferences of the creative class and their current residential environment, we can get a better view of the residential preference situation of the creative class by specifying the difference. Therefore, the number of those whose current residence is equal to their residential preferences is around 122 cases or 31.77% of the statistical sample. Therefore, about a third of the creative class people live exactly in residential environments that are equal to their preferences and desires. The total number of people whose residential preference is different from their desired place of residence is about 262 people, or 68.23% of our full statistical sample. In other words, the current living environment of more than two-thirds of the people of the creative class of Rasht differs from their preferences and desires. Florida's creative class theory considers soft factors' influence on creative people's residential preference to be more effective than classical factors and insists on reducing the influence of classical factors in its theories. However, the results indicated that the influence of classical factors on the selection and preference of the residential environment for creative people is more effective. Also, it should be acknowledged that soft factors are not entirely unaffected, and they are also effective in the residential preferences of the creative class of Rasht city. Yet, the extent of this effect is less than the effect of classical factors. Furthermore, the results differ from those in America and are in line with some European studies. Therefore, the current article violates the assumption that all people who introduced as the creative class necessarily choose their residential preferences based on a number of specific factors (soft factors); but their residential preferences are based on a combination of classical and soft factors.
Conclusion
The research findings show that the level of desire and preference of the creative class in the inner layers of the city is high, and as we move from the initial layers of the city to the surrounding area, the concentration of the residential preference of the creative class is reduced. According to the results of this study, the neighborhoods where creative people prefer to live in Rasht have been: Manzarieh (25%), Golsār and Guilān Blvd (21%), Moalem (15%), Bazaar (14%), Cactous (10%), Ziābari (8%), Felestin (3%), Nikmarām (2%), Pārk Shahr (1%).
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the persons for scientific consulting in this paper.

Highlights

- Due to the role of the creative class in economic development and the growth of cities, the need to pay attention to urban planning in accordance with the taste of these occupational groups in the world, especially in developed countries, has received increasing attention. In developing countries such as Iran, where the emphasis is on maintaining creative forces in the country, this issue is of double importance. One of the ways to preserve these creative forces in the country is to consider their living conditions in the cities.

Keywords

References

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Asheim, B., Hansen, H. K. (2009). Knowledge Bases, Talents, and Contexts: On the Usefulness of the Creative Class Approach in Sweden. Available in: https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/ 249474996. Accessed February 1, 2016.
Batabyal, A. A., Yoo, S. Jick. (2018). Schumpeterian creative class competition, innovation policy, and regional economic growth. International Review of Economics & Finance, 55, pp. 86-97. Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2018.01.016.
Bereitschaft, B., Cammack, R. (2015). Neighborhood diversity and the creative class in Chicago. Applied Geography, 63, pp. 166-183. Available in:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2015.06.020.
Bontje, M., Musterd, S. (2009). Creative industries, creative class and competitiveness: Expert opinions critically appraised. Geoforum, 40, pp. 843–852. Available in: https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.geoforum .2009 .07.001
Boterman, W.,  Sleutjes, B. (2014). Stated residential preferences of higher educated workers in Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Available in: http://dare.uva.nl/record/1/462020. Accessed February 1, 2016.
Fainstein, S. S. (2005). Cities and diversity: should we want it? Can we plan for it?. Urban Affairs Review, 41(1). Available in: https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087405278968.
Florida, A., Adler, P. (2020). Creative Class and the Creative Economy. Encyclopedia of Creativity, pp. 222-225.
Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class. New York: Basis Books.
Florida, R. (2005). Cities and the creative class. New York: Routledge.
Florida, R. (2011). Cities and the Creative Class. translated by Ebrahim Ansari and Mohammad Ismail Ansari. Sociologists Publications.  [In Persian]
Howley, P., Scott, M., and Redmond, D. (2009). An examination of residential preferences for less sustainable housing: Exploring future mobility among Dublin central city residents. Cities 26. Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2008.10.001
Kahrik, A., Leetma, K. (2009). Residential Preferences towards Suburban Living in Post-Socialist Metropolis. ENHR conference in Prague.
Kiroff, L. (2020). Nexus between creative industries and the built environment: Creative place making in inner Auckland. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 9, pp. 119-137. Available in: https:// doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.foar.2019.08.004
Landry, C. (2000). The Creative City; A Tooklit for Urban Innovators. Earthscan, UK.
Lawton, P., Murphy, E., and Redmond, D. (2013). Residential preferences of the ‘creative class. Cities, 31, pp. 47- 56. Available in:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2012.04.002
Ling, C., Dale, A. (2011). Nature, place and the creative class: Three Canadian case studies. Landscape and Urban Planning, 99, pp. 239-247. Available in: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.11.006
Lovett, C., Beesley, K. (2007). Where to live? The residential preferences of Canada’s creative class. Prairie Perspectives, 10, pp. 47- 65.
Rodrigues, M., Franco, M. (2020). Networks and performance of creative cities: A bibliometric analysis, City. Culture and Society, 20, pp. 1-11. Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2019.100326.
Rodriguez-Pose, A., Lee, N. (2020). Hipsters vs. geeks? Creative workers, STEM and innovation in US cities. Cities 100, Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102653
Scott, A. J. (2006). Creative cities: conceptual issues and policy questions. Journal of Urban Affairs, 28 (1), Available in: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0735-2166.2006.00256.x.
Statistics Center of Iran. (2011). The official census of Rasht.
Tiruneh, E. A. (2014). Regional Economic Development in Italy: Applying the Creative Class Thesis to a Test. J Knowl Econ, 5, pp. 19–36. Available in:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-012-0126-3.
Yan, X. (2020). Evaluating household residential preferences for walkability and accessibility across three U.S. regions. Transportation Research Part D 80. Available in:https:// doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.trd. 2020. 102255.
You, H., Bie, C. (2017). Creative class agglomeration across time and space in knowledge city: Determinants and their relative importance. Habitat International, 60, pp. 91-100. Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.12.010.
0.1016/ j.trd. 2020. 102255.
You, H., Bie, C. (2017). Creative class agglomeration across time and space in knowledge city: Determinants and their relative importance. Habitat International, 60, pp. 91-100. Available in: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2016.12.010.

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