The economics of the creative city: iconic architecture and the urban experience

One feature of Sydney's cultural landscape is its Opera House, notable not just for its role in the city's artistic life, but also because its distinctive silhouette has become a symbol of Sydney recognised around the world. How does such iconic architecture contribute to the notion of a creative city? In this chapter I discuss this question by comparing the Sydney case with two other cities where spectacular cultural institutions have become an integral part of the urban fabric, namely Bilbao in northern Spain and Los Angeles in California. Being an economist, I interpret the role of these cultural facilities in economic terms, within the context of the creative city idea.