Marta Roig Casanova

A study of environmental factors that attract artists to live and work in a particular urban space (Ljubljana) and its potential to inform the design of appropriate public development policies* ? There is clear evidence that artists and creative people are attracted to those places more conducive to creative activity, with the adequate level of openness, tolerance and talent. The combination of the built environment, with the appropriate amenities, and the natural environment are some of the main determinants that draw creative people to certain places. The atmosphere you can breathe in Ljubljana is inspiring. This small capital city has a great cultural panorama and a distinctive atmosphere. Its walls with graffities, its alternative places, its second-hand bookstores, tattoo parlours, vintage clothing stores and its bicycles all around give off an authentic environment. Therefore, the aim of my research was to find out which are the main factors that attract Artists to live in Ljubljana. To do this I elaborated a survey. This survey was aimed at those persons occupied in the more Artistic part of the Creative class (Artists) and related workers (Artistic professionals). Specifically, what I do is to outline the factors, according to the academic literature, that can attract the creative class and the artists to live in specific places (tolerance and openness, green city, diversity, specific amenities…). In this way, by knowing their preferences, we can design appropriate public policies to stimulate their recruitment and retention, being that the artists and the art are considered a redevelopment tool, as well as a factor of competitiveness in cities and regions. As initial results, I detect that being a ‘green city’, having ‘good public policies related to culture’ and a huge ‘diversity of cultural spaces’ are some of the factors that Ljubljana's artists value most. So, the design of the public policies of the city should go towards that direction. However, the totality of the answers of the survey will be analysed more deeply and used to write an academic article.