Globalisation and technological change have far-reaching consequences. Economic restructuring, challenges to (un)employment, rising individual debt, taxation shortfalls, the liquid and shifting of responsibility for the impacts and consequences of market failures, and a “productivity challenge” are engulfing many developed countries. Moreover, recent political events reveal that actions to mitigate impacts of uncontrolled and uncoordinated capitalism are of little interest to elected representatives. Our democratic systems are under attack from pay-for-access lobby groups, policy and research think tanks paid for by corporate interests which effectively use social media to create doubt or even turn public opinion. In this context, capitalism exploits this lack of co-ordination, it takes advantage of weaknesses in global governance systems where power is diffused, authority is weakened, information is asymmetric, and resources are shifted away from the public realm. These factors make it harder to engage with the crucial challenges of our time- climate change, poverty, inequality, resource exploitation and depletion, and sustainability. As a complex global phenomenon, tourism is part of the machinery of capitalism creating, reinforcing and contributing to inequality, marginalisation and a growing precariat class.
For some years, the hope on the horizon was Richard Florida, who convincingly argued that the creative class– hipsters, artists, researchers, and techies– would pave the way for a new economic revolution and a flourishing postindustrial urban economy. However, in his latest book, Florida issues a mea culpa, observing that the creative class has not delivered the mooted benefits. This paper takes up Florida’s arguments examining the case of Carlsberg Byen, Copenhagen. Carlsberg Byen is an inner city megaproject with both tourism and residential elements. The competing logics underpinning tourism, historic conservation and land development are examined, and which illustrate that, despite the “creative class” branding, capitalist land development logics dominate that contribute to a creative precariat class.
