Cultural entrepreneurship in U.S. cities

Abstract

The cultural economy and entrepreneurship have been recognized as driving forces for urban and regional economic development. However, the overlap between the two—that is, cultural entrepreneurship—has rarely been studied from a regional perspective. This research focuses on cultural entrepreneurship in U.S. metropolitan areas. We examine the spatial patterns of entrepreneurial activities in cultural industries and identify hot and cold spots across the United States. We also run a multivariate analysis to explore regional factors associated with cultural entrepreneurship. Regression results show both similarities and differences between cultural entrepreneurship and general or high-tech startup activities. Policy implications for culture-based urban development strategies are discussed.