Bare Geographies in Knowledge Societies – Creative Cities as Text and Piece of Art: Two Eyes, One Vision

What roles do cities play in knowledge societies? Do places still matter? To what extent are knowledge production processes place-bound and city-specific? This paper examines some dimensions of the multiple relationships between physically experiencing and mentally constructing the city. Primarily, this is a conceptual exercise. Thus, I read part of the literature on cities and creativity through two different conceptual lenses: representational and non-representational theory. The first lens, which I will call the 'right eye', sees the world from the point of view of abstraction and representation. The second lens, which I refer to as the 'left eye', looks at the world from the perspective of the concrete, experience, and dwelling (i.e. non-representation). Both 'eyes' are helpful as theoretical perspectives to analyse the changing role of cities in the knowledge economy. Thus, I argue for a two-eyed, stereoscopic vision of cities in knowledge-based societies.