Reclaim the Streets, the protestival and the creative transformation of the city

Abstract

The main goal of this article is to reflect upon the relationship between creativity and urban transformation. it stems from the assumption that creativity has a paradoxical nature as it is simultaneously used for the production of the neoliberal city and by those seeking to challenge it and build alternative urban realities. first, we put forth a critical review of the creative city narrative, focused on richard florida’s work, as it progressively became fundamental for the neoliberal city. afterwards, and contrasting with that dominant narrative, we describe a trajectory of Reclaim the Streets that provides the basis for our discussion of the protestival (protest + carnival) as its main creative force of urban transformation.