Creative economy and unesco creative cities: interfaces between culture, gastronomy and sustainable territorial development in urban tourism

This article analyzed the articulation between creative economy principles and UNESCO’s Creative Cities program, focusing on gastronomy as a transversal and strategic axis in the analyzed experiences, besides categories such as music, design, and crafts. Gastronomy is understood not only as a cultural expression, but also as a catalyst for innovation, identity, and social inclusion. Using an interdisciplinary approach, grounded in cultural economics, urban studies, and public innovation policies, this study sought to understand how the cities included in the Creative Cities Network operate as ecosystems that promote economic, social, and symbolic development based on creativity, culture and local identity. This research adopted a qualitative approach, with systematic literature review and analysis of Brazilian and international cases, including the cities of Belém (PA/Brazil), Paraty (RJ/Brazil), Chengdu (China), and Bologna (Italy), highlighting experiences linked to gastronomy as a structuring axis of territorial value. This study revealed that, by integrating creative economy and urban planning, Creative Cities constitute laboratories of territorial innovation, although they face challenges related to social inclusion, cultural financing and participatory management. For example, in Paraty (Brazil), limitations may be observed in the continuity of cultural policies and in the institutionalization of inclusive governance mechanisms, which interfere with the consolidation of long-term strategies. Gastronomy, in this context, stands out as an instrument for heritage activation, intergenerational knowledge transmission and the generation of economic and identity value. Finally, an analytical framework is proposed to assess the transformative potential of these cities in the context of the 2030 Agenda.