Gunnar Törnqvist

Creativity in Time and Space

Abstract The focus of attention in this article is that of milieux as forges for creativity and renewal. Among the milieux presented are places, corporations and research institutions. The renewal discussed here includes art, architecture, music and literature as well as science and technology. The goal of this article is to identify characteristics of importance in environments where exceptionally creative individuals develop and make their abilities visible. Individual lives are illustrated through the biographies of Nobel laureates. Their stories reveal the importance of geographic mobility, the patterns of contact for various creative processes, and show how a small number of biographical sketches can reflect changes in society at large. To avoid drowning in wordy descriptions, the observations garnered from various biographies have been systematized with the aid of a few simple time‐geography diagrams.

Multilevel Network Barriers: The Methodological Challenge

This paper introduces the notion ofnetwork barriers and discusses some methodologies that might be applicable in the context of multilevel networks. The Öresund Region in Scandinavia provides an illustrative study area for examining contact behaviour in a network context under the combined influence of geographical and political barriers. Resulting contact patterns suggest that the classic methods of spatial interaction analysis (such as the gravity model) may have rather limited relevance if we wish to measure network accessibility on a multilevel or hierarchical basis. To facilitate this type of analysis, a multidimensional measure of contact frequency calledinteractivity is defined and its analytical potential is assessed. Some ideas for future research are also mentioned in order to test the proposed hypotheses and methodologies in a more rigorous manner.

The geography of creativity

What is creativity and who exactly is creative? In this insightful and highly readable book, Gunnar Tornqvist attempts to answer these questions by arguing that geographical millieux are hotbeds for creativity and renewal – places where pioneers in art, technology and science have gathered and developed their special abilities.