The role of culture in the development of a modern megapolis

The paper deals with the insufficiently studied aspect of the modern megapolis, namely the role of culture in the development of cities. The phenomenon of megalopolis culture is considered, the role of which is reinterpreted from tourism and leisure to one of the key elements of development. Large cities are the centers of attraction for many resources - economic, intellectual, informational, and cultural. The experience of cities such as Liverpool, Barcelona, Seattle, Berlin and several others demonstrates the steady trend of including culture at various levels in urban development strategies. The concept of a creative city concerns not only cultural institutions, but, first of all, the creation of such an urban environment that allows citizens to be full participants in urban life, economy and culture. The author’s hypothesis is that culture is one of the most important tools for the development of megacities, the creative economy is a significant part of the urban economy, and this is taken into account by a number of world cities in their development strategies.