Governing the design economy in Montreal, Canada

Cultural industries have assumed an increased importance to urban economic development. However, little attention has been paid to accommodating the complex set of activities-both cultural and economic-implicated in cultural production. A recognition of this complexity, however, has significant implications for policy. This paper considers the design sector in Montreal, a sector which has attained international visibility in recent years. We analyze the role played by four public and nonprofit institutions in regulating this sector and illuminate their mechanisms for reconciling commercial and aesthetic imperatives. An examination of such initiatives lends insight into the opportunities and the challenges within policy circles for accommodating a conceptualization of cultural industries that recognizes their irreducibly hybrid nature.