The objective of this study is to understand why managers of selected sectors of creative knowledge industries chose to start their economic activities in the Urban Area of Toulouse. The report presents a qualitative research based on interviews with 20 managers and 7 experts of the following sectors: business and management consultancy, motion picture, video, television and radio, electronic publishing, web design and computer games.
Results show that the managers' location decision is mostly related to personal trajectory factors as well as to "hard" factors, such as the size of the metropolis, providing markets opportunities, and the quality of the labour force. "Soft" factors such as the natural environment and the urban atmosphere do not play an overwhelming role in the decision to settle in Toulouse, which puts some current theories(Richard Florida's notably) into perspective.