The knowledge city against urban creativity? Artists’ workshops and urban regeneration in Barcelona

Nowadays, knowledge, culture and creativity are cornerstones of cities’ strategies for local development. Following different approaches, cities are trying to develop knowledge and creative districts/neighbourhoods to foster economic growth in the new economy. Nevertheless there are several contradictions between the knowledge economy and the creative economy as motors for urban development. Through the study of artists’ workshops located during the 1990s in an old industrial neighbourhood planned to be a new knowledge district of Barcelona, these contradictions are explored and the policy results are explained.