Abstract
The objective of this article is to explain why creative cities seek to develop paradiplomacy in their internationalization processes. The central argument indicates that the development of paradiplomacy in the internationalization of creative cities is related to four main factors: the search for technical cooperation abroad for capacity building for creative business and cultural entrepreneurship, the building of partnerships in programs of rehabilitation of urban spaces, the promotion of local qualities to attract investors in co-productions and joint ventures and the influence in international institutions to facilitate access to the global market of cultural activities. The work of Panayotis Soldatos was used as a reference, adapted from the original treatment of federal states for creative cities. It is argued that the more divided the parts of the creative city are, the more capable to paradiplomatic activity subnational units are, the more harmonic the relations between central and local governments are, the more autonomy is delegated to municipalities and the more interdependent a creative city is on the external level, its paradiplomatic activity will be more assertive to seek to correct imbalances domestically and promote the city internationally. The methodology of focused and structured comparison of case studies is applied to the research of three creative cities that performed paradiplomatic activities in their internationalization initiatives: Barcelona, Toronto and Rio de Janeiro. Although Barcelona and Toronto have different determinants of an assertive paradiplomacy in relation to Rio de Janeiro, these three cities seem to have common objectives in the development of their paradiplomatic activities related to creative economy. In order to promote the economic potential of creativity, it is necessary to influence international agreements that make possible the appropriation of the benefits of the creative economy by communities that originated them, promote adequate access to financing, ensure education and training along with new job profiles and professions and form an environment that recognizes the economic value of creativity and the cultural intangible, functions for which paradiplomacy has a key role.
KEYWORDS:
creative economy; internationalization; paradiplomacy; creative city; creative industry