Speaking at a debate hosted by the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation (EYCI), Phil Wood, principal advisor to the Council of Europe on intercultural cities, was critical of what he called "neo-liberal cities", which attract a diverse range of social and ethnic groups that do not always interact.
He said planning cities with creative spaces and recognising differences can help make for a more vibrant environment.
Wood, author of 'The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage', said Europe's attitude to migration has become increasingly utilitarian.
"We are now judging migrants based on whether they are useful or not useful. We have turned migrants into economic units. There's no ideology – migration policy is defined by the market – but now we know the market is fallible," he said.
Asked whether the proposed 'Blue Card' for skilled migrant workers will prove to be a positive step, Wood said he has "concerns" about the scheme. "Why are people with engineering PhDs more valuable than others?" he said.
Wood warned of a political backlash from lower socio-economic groups if politicians fail to show leadership on migration issues. If mainstream political leaders shy away from addressing the tensions that can arise in culturally-diverse cities, extremists will exploit differences for their own ends, he said.
"We are on the wrong track at the moment. We need leadership. Leaders fear a backlash from the white working class. The white creative class finds creativity and diversity to be sexy but we don't understand the fear that exists among people who equate immigration with competition for jobs. There are populists who have been tapping into this fear," he said.
Diversity can be a boon for innovation, according to Wood, who pointed to the growing trend for creative companies to build teams based on groups with a wide range of backgrounds. He added that evidence from the United States shows that foreign-born inventors are fuelling new patent applications.
Creativity is about more than the arts
Also speaking at the EYCI debate was Maroš Šefčovič, European commissioner for education, training, culture and youth, who said the meeting of different human cultures sparks creativity. He cited Silicon Valley as an example of a venture that would not have happened without cultural diversity.
"Closed and uniform societies have historically seen less exchange. Openness is good for creativity and innovation. However, this is not only linked to the arts, it also applies to science and technological innovation. The Commission wants to enlarge creativity so that it is not seen only as a product of the arts," he said.
However, this was countered by Sabine Frank, secretary-general of the Platform for Intercultural Europe, who said the creativity agenda is increasingly associated with economic output.
"I get the sense that in the EU environment, creativity is mostly linked to innovation leading to economic growth. So it's primarily about science, technology and industry," she said.
She said her organisation wants to see "compassionate creativity", which brings people from different backgrounds together.
