Bubb is a co-author on this textbook about the creative economy. Published by Routledge in 2024, it explores the multifaceted components that make up this complex field and is used in classrooms across the U.S.

Bubb is Boise's Cultural Planner. Previously she developed and managed the public art program for twenty years. Find information about Boise City's Department of Arts & History here.

Bubb is a co-founder and former board member. Artists who are interested in an artist residency space or those who want to exhibit, go to a workshop, or performance, find more information here.

Bubb is a participating artist. Once a year over 70 artists open their studios to the public in and around Boise.

Harrison Berry interviews Karen Bubb in her studio about the Cuba series.

Send Bubb to China article

The creative economy is a relatively new policy arena focusing on the consumption and production of culture and cultural products, urban development and placemaking, intellectual property protection, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism, sustainability, and social impact. Despite its documented growth in U.S. cities in the past twenty years, we know very little about how these policy innovations spread, or about who advocates for them. To contribute to public policy research and the creative economy sector, I ask the following overarching question: How are emerging creative economy policy innovations spread, adopted and implemented in cities identified as highly creative in the United States? This paper contributes to the creative economy field by exploring how multiple theories contribute to understanding the ways policy innovations spread and are adopted in this sector.