Since the 1970s, cities are changing from centers of production to centers of consumption. The question is how to manage and respond to this new view and function of cities. All over the world we now see how industrial areas, former harbors, old-fashioned office buildings, and other premises strongly connected with the industrial and productive function of cities and urban regions are being reconstituted as apartments, lofts, condominiums, and houses. This is thought to be the domain of the "creative class."

But is this true? Does the creative class exist and if so, who belongs to it? Can we actually speak of a "class," suggesting it is a rather homogeneous group? Does the growth of the creative class occur at the expense of groups that are less able to meet the demands of the knowledge society?

"Lon Deben" is a sociologist in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands). "Marco Bontje" is a geographer at the research institute AMIDST in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

The quality of Amsterdam's inner city is deeply rooted in and associated with its historical setting. But despite all the pressure, the inner city has not developed into a theme park or an outdoor museum. Instead, it has remained a lively and vibrant part of the city, where people live, work, play and create. But what will be its future? In this volume, scientists offer their insights on the future of this historic inner city, following five themes: Public Administration (what is the role of the government), Social Sciences (to which groups is the urban heritage significant), Economics (how does monument ownership affect prices and rent), Preservation Techniques (how should maintenance and art historical qualifications be addressed), and Spatial and Urban Planning (what role do the monuments play in relation to the city). This book is the result of cooperation between the Amsterdam City of Monuments Foundation, the Amsterdam Study Centre for the Metropolitan Environment (AME), the University of Amsterdam, and the Historic Buildings Trust.