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Purpose: The concept of "creative city" is becoming more and more popular in urban development theories. The development of the city was often associated with economic and spatial development. The development of broadly understood culture and creative industries was not always taken into account or appreciated. However, analyzes and studies of cities characterized by dynamic development showed a strong dependence of their development on the factor of creative industries. The concept of a "creative city" was developed and described in detail in his publications by Charles Landry, proving how the creative development of the city stimulates the rest of its life. The aim of the article is to show the practical dimension of the theory of Ch. Landry on the importance of creative industries in city development, based on the idea of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Project/methodology/approach: The research method used in the article focuses primarily on the socio-economic analysis of the development of Polish cities, such as: Cracow, Katowice, Łódź and Wrocław, which are included in the UNESCO Creative Cities group. Findings: Cities that have acquired the status of creative cities undoubtedly have enormous cultural, historical and institutional potential. However, for a city to be creative, tradition and monuments are not enough. Without innovative thinking, noticing the need to invest in the development of "creative industries", and thus attracting representatives of the so-called the creative class responsible for smart and sustainable urban development, none of these cities would be successful. Originality/value: The article's innovation consists in an in-depth analysis of factors favoring the development of cities, with particular emphasis on the development of creative industries. The obtained results of the analysis and the formulated conclusions may allow for the use and implementation of similar solutions in other cities in order to stimulate their future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]