Latin America: Creativity, Culture and Innovation

In collaboration with the Union of Ibero-America Capital Cities (UCCI)

Culture is a transformative force at the heart of Latin American cities, capable of revitalising districts, supporting social cohesion, and imagining new futures. Faced with social, economic, and political challenges, the region’s cities are placing culture at the centre of their development agendas, recognising both its symbolic and economic value.  

Cultural policies address multiple urban priorities from building citizenship, generating employment and supporting inclusion and equity.  And in most cases align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

Symbolic Value: Identity, Cohesion, and Building Citizenship 

The Latin America and the Caribbean region is the most unequal region in the world (IADB, 2023), where crime and violence remain obstacles to sustainable development. In this context, strengthening cultural policies has emerged as a strategic tool to bridge divides, expand opportunities, and strengthen citizenship. The city of Medellín dramatically reduced violence through a policy that combined social and cultural investment with the creation of Library Parks in the most vulnerable areas. In Buenos Aires, the Cultural Neighbourhood Programme supports access to culture through cultural centres in different parts of the city. One of the most successful elements of this programme, Barrios Creativos, was inspired through a World Cities Culture Forum’s Leadership Exchange Programme. In Bogotá, the city’s public reading policy promotes participation in cultural life as a human right, working to reduce unequal access. 

Culture is also a powerful way to promote diversity and combat discrimination. Latin America is a region proud of its ancestral roots, while remaining open to new identities emerging from contemporary migration processes. Peru has 48 recognised indigenous languages, and Ecuador counts Kichwa and Aymara amongst its official languages – demonstrating the region’s great cultural diversity, shaped by internal migration and displacement (IADB, 2022). One policy designed to preserve historic diversity in a dynamically changing city is Quito’s Quitu Cara Award, which recognises and supports individuals and communities that safeguard heritage in the city’s historically rural districts. Likewise, Lima’s Pascalles – street parades that utilise participatory programming through networks of cultural institutions – celebrate the diverse communities present within the city. Across the region, the integration of migrants is recognised as a political and cultural priority, with local governments increasingly recognise that culture can build bridges, build community, and break down prejudices.  

These policies are also sustained by the powerful regional inspiration from the Cultura Viva Comunitaria programme, launched nationally in Brazil in 2004 under the leadership of Célio Turino. Since then, it has expanded to Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile, recognising and celebrating culture that grows from within communities. In Panama City, initiatives such as the Casco Peatonal, where sections of the inner city are temporarily pedestrianised, are creating organic space for artisans, street performers, tours and community gatherings. In contrast to top-down policy, this approach values the collective processes of building citizenship and identity, promoting culture that comes from the grassroots and transforms communities from within. 

Economic Value: Creativity, Employment, and Urban Development 

Across the region the creative economy is increasingly viewed as an engine of growth, innovation, and employment, and a way of promoting international recognition. For more than a decade, it has been part of government plans and country branding strategies, including Colombia’s National Development Plan 2022–2026, Chile’s roadmap for creative industries and Panama’s Creative Economy Strategy 2030. Cities in the region are already seeing returns on their cultural strategies, such as Santo Domingo, where the Programa Integral de Desarollo Turístico y Urbano has expanded public space by 137%, rehabilitated 2.8 km of streets and restored more than 120 building facades. 

From music, audiovisual, performing arts, and publishing, to emerging industries such as gaming, animation, and digital services, the creative economy is gaining ground in the urban environment and acting as a catalyst for innovation.  Cities across the region are introducing policies to support the creative economy and remove barriers to participation. In Buenos Aires, Impulso Cultural is a centralised online platform where citizens can submit funding applications and access digital education and tools. These policies aim to promote cultural entrepreneurship, expand access to finance and improve long-term sustainability. 

The region’s flagship cultural festivals and events have a symbolic impact as well as generating significant economic benefits. Culture is deeply connected to tourism, gastronomy, hospitality, transportation, and other service sectors. Outstanding examples include Virada Cultural in São Paulo, one of the most important cultural events in Brazil and Latin America, recognised for its ability to mobilise millions of people in 24 non-stop hours of free artistic programming. This event is just one of many, including international book, film, and visual arts fairs, and the Rio de Janeiro Carnival that are transforming the region’s cities.  

Cultural Governance and Data Informed Policy 

More cities are designating specific public spaces and dedicated teams for cultural activity, helping to raise the profile of culture within city structures. Some examples include the public-private study, Cultura nas Capitais, which uses innovative methods to measure access to cultural services across all 27 Brazilian capital cities. Despite limited budgets and frequent political transitions, these teams are recognised for their professionalism, commitment, and vision – promoting inclusive and diverse cultural policies deeply rooted in local realities.  

At the same time, the importance of strong cultural information systems is growing. Although gaps in data collection and a lack of consistent methodologies persist, there is growing recognition of the need to establish cultural indicators that can measure the impact of culture on economic development, social cohesion, and citizen well-being. In Bogotá, for example, a cultural AI strategy combines technology with civic participation. By using AI language models to analyse qualitative insights from citizen interviews, the city is improving its cultural planning and strengthening the connection between people, place and participation. 

Toward a Common Horizon 

Looking to the future, many cities are beginning a new digital transition that is transforming the relationship between culture, citizenship and technology.  Cities are incorporating new technologies into cultural policies, as tools for both creation and for access. In Santiago de Chile, the Centre for Technological Revolution in Creative Industries (CRTIC), connects research, development, and technological innovation (R&D+i) with the creative sector through collaborative public-private initiatives which combine art and emerging technologies. Digital platforms, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and immersive experiences are beginning to be integrated into museums, cultural centres, and festivals, opening up new possibilities for innovation, participation, and audience expansion. Meanwhile, video games, animation, and digital content are becoming emerging drivers within Latin America’s cultural and creative industries, primarily driven by the private sector but with growing, through fragmented, public support. 

Culture is reaffirming its place as a strategic public good with both symbolic and economic value, and the region’s cities are moving forward, navigating challenges with determination, resilience, and a vision for the future. The key challenge now is to consolidate this progress, by building solid institutional frameworks, robust information systems, and participatory governance that can support culture in reaching its full potential as a real driver of social and economic transformation across the region. 

Key Regional Data 

• Contribution of the cultural sector in Latin America: between 2% and 3% of each country’s GDP. 
• Cultural and creative industries contribute 2.2% of Latin America’s GDP—over USD 124 billion annually. 
• The region generates 1.9 million jobs in cultural and creative industries (CCI), representing 7% of global employment in these industries. 
• High rate of informal employment: 24% of those working in the cultural and creative sector do so under informal conditions, and 18% work intermittently. 
• Service exports: USD 17.7 billion (1% of the global total) 
• Goods exports: USD 9.5 billion (1.4% of the global total) 
• There are 131 sites listed on the World Heritage List across the continent, of which 91 are “cultural” locations. All 33 countries in the region have ratified the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. 
• 29 cities are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, spanning various fields such as music, design, gastronomy, literature, film, and folk arts. 

CITY DATA and PROFILES  

Bogotá, Colombia  

• Geographical area: 1,636 km²  
• Total population: 8,034,649 
• Main industries: Colombia’s main economic engine. The city accounts for approximately 25% of the national GDP and has a diversified production structure, with a strong presence in the service, creative industries, trade, and technology sectors. 
• Languages: Spanish  

Buenos Aires, Argentina  

• Geographic area: 203 km² 
• Total population: 3,121,707 
• Main industries: Public administration, commerce, manufacturing, services, information and communication technologies, audiovisual, design, tourism, and real estate development. 
• Languages: Spanish 

Brasília, Brazil 

• Geographic area: 5,760 km2 
• Total population: 2,817,381 
• Main industries: Public administration, financial and professional services, commerce, construction and infrastructure, technology and innovation. To a lesser extent, agricultural activities and light industries such as processed foods, furniture, and construction materials. 
• Languages: Portuguese 

Lima, Peru 

• Geographic area: 2,672 km² 
• Total population: 10.292.408 
• Main industries: Financial services, education, commercial activities, food and beverages, textiles, and clothing, along with growing markets in technology, tourism, and gastronomy.   
• Languages: Spanish 

Panamá City, Panama  

• Geographic area: 86.6 km² 
• Total population: 1,367,767 
• Main industries: The privileged geostrategic position has facilitated its positioning as an international center for goods, services, and capital, and therefore, for trade, banking, and logistics. 
• Languages: Spanish 

Quito, Ecuador 

• Geographic area: 4.200 km² 
• Total population: 2.700.000 
• Main industries: Trade, transport, construction, public administration, tourism, and services. 
• Languages: The official language is Spanish. Kichwa and other indigenous languages are also spoken, especially in the historical center and rural parishes areas. 

 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

• Geographic Area: 1,200 km2 
• Total Population: 6,211,223 
• Main Industries: The service sector dominates the city’s economy, along with public administration, commerce, transportation, industry, and construction, although with lesser relative importance. 
• Languages: Portuguese 

Santiago, Chile  

• Geographic area: 23 km² 
• Total population: 2,700,000 
• Main industries: Trade, transport, construction, public administration, tourism, and services. 
• Languages: The official language is Spanish. Kichwa and other indigenous languages are also spoken, especially in the historical center and rural parishes areas. 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  

• Geographical area: 91 km²  
• Total population: National District: 1,029,110 people, composed of 490,052 men (48%) and 539,058 women (52%). 
• Main industries: Cultural and urban tourism: Approximately 1 million annual visitors to the Historic Center; the city is a hub for cultural tourism, conventions, and cruises. Commerce and services: Large concentration of wholesale and retail businesses. Financial services, telecommunications, and BPO: Home to banks, insurance companies, and technology companies. Manufacturing and light industry: Presence of processed food, cement, tobacco, beverage, and textile industries in the city and its metropolitan area. Free trade zones and exports: Although their epicenter is in surrounding areas, many exporting companies operate from the capital under the free trade zone regime, which represents more than 67% of national exports. 
• Languages spoken: Spanish 

São Paulo, Brazil  

• Geographic area: 1,521 km² 
• Total population: 11,451,245 
• Main industries: Major sectors include finance, technology, health and education. The city also maintains a solid industrial base in sectors such as machinery, chemicals, and automotive manufacturing. 
• Languages: Portuguese

This summary is based on findings from the Creatividad, Cultura e Innovación en Ciudades Iberoamericanas (2025), research undertaken by UCCI and World Cities Culture Forum. For detailed city profiles, including further exploration of creative industries, please see the full research report.