PurposeThe paper aims to examine the role of creative industries in general and the film industry in particular for place‐making, spatial development, tourism, and the formation of creative cities.Design/methodology/approachThe article reveals the preliminary findings of two case studies from Beyoglu, Istanbul, and Soho, London.FindingsThe research found a relation between place and creativity and the positive contribution to creativity of being in a city center. Among the creative industries, the film industry plays an important role in the economic and spatial development of cities by fostering endogenous creativeness, attracting exogenous talent, and contributing to the formation of places that creative cities require.Originality/valueThe paper raises interesting questions about the importance of place to creativity, also questioning whether creative industries can be a driver for regeneration.

Abstract:In the knowledge era, cites are competing to attract and retain creative industries and workers for securing their economic, social and urban growth as well as ensuring their creative city formation. During the last decade rapidly growing popularity of creative cities has encouraged many cities seeking creativity to specialise in specific sectors of the creative industries. In this context, the paper explores creativity strategies and the role of film industry in creative city formulation. Antalya, Turkey is investigated as an emerging film industry-oriented creative city due to recent industry developments, its natural and constructed assets and amenities along with its openness to creativity. This paper also examines some of the creative city examples, scrutinises potentials and constraints of Antalya and Turkish film industry, and provides discussion and recommendation for Antalya's transition to a Eurasian film centre.