HOW WE DO IT

The process of becoming a creative city is an opportunity to enhance the city's tourist appeal and notoriety and, moreover, an opportunity to rethink the city's development concept and vision, and to make the city meet the desires of its citizens, thus enhancing their quality of life.

Traditionally, urban development took into consideration tangible resources and their impact on the economic, social and environmental life. More recently, a new perspective has arisen, which emphasizes the function of intangible resources - such as human, social and cultural capitals - in improving the overall city processes. We are experts in developing cities' intangible resources and believe in the richness of combining both perspectives.

• cidade criativa works from a clear and shared vision: The vital role of arts & culture, as a major engine of innovation and creativity, in the development of quality living cities; its capacity of shaping collective identity and fostering new forms of sociability and doing business; and its power of imparting a unique identity to places, which is fundamental to local urban transformation processes.

• We work as agents of transformation and servant leaders, motivating, inspiring and energizing people, not by forcing them into the "right direction", but by encouraging creativity and nurturing their desire for achievement, their sense of belonging, recognition, and leadership over their own life. We are moved by mission, values, and choices that go beyond self-driven interests or just "right decisions": we understand that our acts must correspond to the high expectations we have for ourselves as human beings, to what we want to share with others, and to which legacy we want to leave for the next generation.

• We know that to foster creativity and innovation in communities and cities requires cultural and administrative organizational changes. Therefore, vision, communication strategies, change management and leadership development are critical components of our methodology.

• We believe in long-term planning, but we work with improvisational and flexible models, in order to anticipate and promote change, and adapt to new challenges and demands. We are developing a portfolio of creativity and innovation techniques rooted in a unique arts-based methodology, which grows and evolves according with the rich experiences and the knowledge we accumulate with our partners and clients. And we wrap-up processes by evaluating results and sharing and disseminating the acquired knowledge, thus contributing for other urban transformation initiatives.

• We cooperate and communicate with different city, state, and federal departments, and with the private sector, social actors, and citizens, and strive to bring technical, human and financial resources together to implement creative solutions for urban transformation.