Regional agglomeration index in the spatial location of creative industries: a case study in Türkiye

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the spatial location choice of creative industries (CI) in T & uuml;rkiye by developing a regional agglomeration index (RAI) based on entrepreneurial numbers. To achieve this, analysis and evaluation were conducted through spatial modeling based on ARAS-GIS integration, focusing on the numbers of entrepreneurs in the CI sectors. Within this scope, the regional agglomeration of CI in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) Level-2 regions is illustrated through a spatial map based on index values. Results show Istanbul has the highest agglomeration index, followed by Ankara and Izmir, highlighting regional disparities. The east-west divide indicates unequal CI distribution nationwide. Findings suggest that a vision should be adopted that spreads innovative strategies for different branches of the CI across all NUTS Level-2 regions, emphasizing the role and importance of the CI in local economic development strategies.