Shanghai may not be the most fashionable - Paris and Milan lead; Shanghai perhaps isn't the best gourmet choice - there are renowned Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines.

But our fair city is up near the top when it comes to creative industry parks, according to a recent report from the Shanghai Creative Industry Center.

There are 75 creative parks authorized by the Shanghai Economic Committee, with another 200 awaiting approval, according to He Zengqiang, secretary-general of Shanghai Creative Industry Center.

But faced by the global economic downturn, these parks are reassessing the outlook, redefining their target audience, repositioning and reinventing themselves.

Occupancy has fallen in the past year - some art studios and galleries close, fewer events are held in the spaces once intended for brand launches.

Higher-end rents are going down, others are holding steady. They're definitely not going up. Super-artsy doesn't make much money.

Whether all or even most of the 200 creative industry parks will open is an open question.

Among all these parks, centers and hubs, around two-thirds are renovated factories and warehouses.

The rough or deco ambience is sought after by companies featuring fashion, media, technology, arts, design and entertainment outlets. They like being considered "creative."

Are they creative enough?

How are they faring in the economic downturn?