Situating leisure in the cultural economy

Contemporary leisure practices are increasingly included within broader cultural planning strategies designed to revitalise urban economies and spaces. This incorporation, however, is not always straightforward despite being frequently conceived as a guarantee of both economic and socio-cultural success. Indeed, there are a series of tensions that lie at the heart of the intersection of the cultural economy, cultural planning and leisure that warrant investigation. Drawing on recent studies in the fields of sociology, cultural policy studies, and leisure and tourism studies, this chapter probes such tensions and their implications for the management, control, and use of public space. In particular, by examining the distinct, yet interrelated, leisure domains of art and entertainment, tourism, and, what has come to be called, the night-time economy, consideration is given to the role of leisure provision and consumption in the cultural economy. The chapter raises questions about the extent to which cultural and economic goals and the leisure needs and wants of diverse populaces can be met by cultural planning focused on precinct development, the creative economy and city imaging. It suggests that despite a rhetoric of inclusivity and heterogeneity the result is often spaces that are - at least at given points in time - dominated by a single sociocultural group. Equally troubling is the tendency toward deployment of 'one-size-fits-all' reimaging schemes which result not in diversity and distinction but in duplication. To alleviate such problems the chapter argues for greater levels of community engagement and 'creativity' in the delivery of urban leisure and the (re)development of urban spaces.