Upwave cities, creative cities : the case of London

The saddest book on cities I have read in a long time is The Lost City of Stoke-on-Trent by Matthew Rice (2010). Rice, who is married to the pottery owner Emma Bridgewater, charts the long decline of the potteries since the 1970s, when many brands closed local potteries to move overseas to Indonesia. There are now only a dozen or so potteries left in Stoke and many jobs that once were there have simply vanished. Yet at one time, Stoke was a place of great wealth creation, innovation and industriousness. The lesson is that once a local economy loses its dynamism, the place itself stagnates and may even die. Stoke is to the UK what Detroit is to the USA. Rice also shows that successive attempts at urban renewal have largely failed to make any impact in reversing Stoke’s declining fortunes. Economic stagnation and decline occurs in real places, leaving multiple economic, social and cultural problems in its wake. Over a period of years, local communities and residents gradually grow poorer, as wealth leaks away to other places.

Studio portrait of Franz Matthiesen; London Portraits Men

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Portrait of Franz Matthiesen; London Portraits Men

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Patrick Matthiesen on Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London.

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Francine Durand at Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London Portraits Children

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Patrick Matthiesen and Ara-Serge Donabedian at Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London Portraits Children

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Beatrice Durand at Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London Portraits Children

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Beatrice Durand at Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London Portraits Children

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Francine and Jean-Pierre Durand at Aenny Catzenstein's 80th birthday; London Portraits Family

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Francine Durand, Aenny Catzenstein and Maren Matthiesen reading telegrams on Aenny's 80th birthday; London.

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Jean-Pierre Durand, Patrick Matthiesen, unidentified woman and Serge Donabedian working on a puzzle at Aenny's 80th birthday; London.

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Aenny Catzenstein nee Gottschalk in her living room; London.

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Aenny Catzenstein nee Gottschalk shortly before her death; London.

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Patrick and Susan Matthiesen playing chess at Aenny Catzenstein nee Gottschalk's 80th birthday; London Portraits Family

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Family and guests at Aenny Catzenstein nee Gottschalk's 80th birthday; London.

Front row l-r: Beatrice Durand, Francine Durand and Aenny Catzenstein, the boys are Ara-Serge Donabedian and Patrick Matthiesen and the adults are Susan Prior, Francis Matthiesen, Maren Matthiesen, Nino Fabri and Olga Matthiesen,