Potential of Culture for Sustainable Urban Development

Urban development, implemented on the principle of a creative city, is one of the principles of the transformation of urban structures, which is based on a through evaluation of its potential. It is one of the principles of the development of cities that are responsible for their environment (Sustainable City). A creative city is based on the city's dignities and the communities in which it lives. It builds on the specificities and creative potential of institutions, schools, the social composition of the population, but also on the particularities of the urban structure, the traditions of the city and its cultural climate. Many cities draw on this exception and use it for their own benefit and for the benefit of their citizens (Saint Etienne, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Graz, Glasgow, Košice...). For the prosperity of the city to be based on the principle of the development of culture and the creative industry, its potential for this type of transformation need to be assessed. The key factors that make the success of a "creative city" conditional are specific economic, social and political conditions. Favourable economic factors include: a labour market with a rich offer of a wide range of job opportunities, with existing creative industries, incubators, the IT sector, and intensive tourism. Relevant social factors include open social climate, characteristic tolerance, living city atmosphere, rich social life, informal social activities. Appropriate policy factors include: Urban policy and public administration applying the creative form of city management and working with local authorities and citizens. The character of the urban structure is also significant: its image, the quality of the urban environment, a rich array of cultural facilities, education based on the promotion of creative thinking. Just like the tradition of active social and cultural life. The paper aims to evaluate the potential of selected locations in Slovakia – Bratislava, Komárno and Lučenec. These cities represent two poles of the settlement structure in terms of their hierarchy, size, economic strength, localization. They have a strong cultural background. Their potential for applying the "smart city" principles, with an emphasis on the use of cultural potential, is analysed and subsequently evaluated through a range of economic, political and social criteria that correspond to the principles of a cultural city. In view of the authors' focus on urban planning, the assessment of the potential of the urban structure of the selected cities is an essential consideration as one of the factors determining the development of their creative base. The goal is intensity and quality of the cultural activities, which supporting the transformation of the urban structure with a view to viable and sustainable urban development.