Charles Landry helps cities reach their potential by triggering their imagination and thinking. Working closely with decision makers and local leaders and acting as a critical friend, he inspires, facilitates and stimulates so cities can transform for the better. He helps find original solutions to seemingly intractable urban dilemmas such as marrying innovation and tradition, balancing wealth creation and social cohesiveness, or local distinctiveness and a global orientation. Seen as an international authority on creativity and city futures he focuses especially on how the culture of a place can invigorate and revitalize the economy, enhancing the sense of self and confidence.

Charles was born in 1948 and studied in Britain, Germany and Italy. In 1978 he founded Comedia, a highly respected European consultancy working in creativity, culture and urban change. With his company Comedia, he has worked on several hundred projects and given talks in 45 countries from the wealthy to those less fortunate, including Albania, Australia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Dubai, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, USA and Yemen.

Charles Landry recently addressed an audience of 1200 at His Majestys Theatre in Perth, Australia

He works collaboratively with clients by undertaking tailored research, participating in and helping to orchestrate events, through shorter and longer term residences, deeper involvement over extended time periods, and by undertaking specific tasks. The work ranges from projects to revitalise public, social and economic life through cultural activity, to visionary city and regional strategies or rethinking assets and potential. He has completed nearly 200 assignments for a variety of public and private clients.

He has written several books - which are available on-line through the Comedia on-line bookshop - and he has published extensively. His books include The Art of City Making (2006); The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage (2007) with Phil Wood; The Creative City: A toolkit for Urban Innovators (2000), published to widespread acclaim; Riding the Rapids: Urban Life in an Age of Complexity (2004) and, with Marc Pachter, Culture @ the Crossroads (2001). He has lectured widely all over the world and has presented over 250 keynote addresses on topics including "Risk and creativity", "Creative cities and beyond", "Art and its role in city life", "Complexity and city making", and "Diverse cultures, diverse creativities".