13 The Regeneration of a Creative Hub: Critical Episodes of Organizationality

How do creative hubs renew themselves? Over recent decades, creative hubs have emerged all over the world, following the rise of creative cities and the clustering of creative industry workers. Yet, little is known about the organizational conditions enabling (or impeding) their regeneration. This chapter addresses this gap through a case study of La Friche la Belle de MaiFriche la Belle de Mai, a prominent creative hub in a deprived urban area of France. Borrowing the concept of "organizationality" from the Management and Organisation Studies' field, a concept which encompasses the three dimensions of (1) interconnected decision-making, (2) collective actorhood, and (3) collective identity, our study, based on field observations and 31 interviews, offers key insights. We identify three critical episodes of organizationality as part of the regeneration dynamics of a creative hub: dys-organization, peri-organization, and mis-organization. La Friche, currently in a state of exhaustion, is actively seeking regeneration, providing valuable lessons for other hubs facing similar challenges. This chapter highlights how creative hubs can evolve and regenerate, contributing to a broader understanding of their lifecycle dynamics.