Although competitiveness is typically associated with firms, they are not the only organizational body whose performance is dependent upon competitiveness. This poignant insightful book focuses on how the varied economic performance of cities and regions, both within nations as well as across nations, during the era of the Great Recession also highlights the need for competitiveness.Competitive cities and regions enjoy a superior economic performance, while their less competitive counterparts experience poorer economic growth and increasing unemployment. Using leading frameworks, this study provides applications and case studies about what shapes the competitiveness of places in an international context. Specific policies that enhance local competitiveness are identified and analyzed. Scholars of regional economics, urban economics, urban planning and public policy as well as policymakers will find plenty of invaluable information in this invigorating book. Contributors include: T. Andersson, R.D. Atkinson, D.B. Audretsch, S.M. Breznitz, D.P. Leyden, A.N. Link, G.A. McDermott, N. Ram, S. Shivakumar, D.S. Siegel, M.L. Walshok, C.W. Wessner, D.A. Wolfe

Formerly prosperous cities across the United States, struggling to keep up with an increasingly global economy and the continued decline of post-war industries like manufacturing, face the issue of how to adapt to today's knowledge economy. In "Invention and Reinvention," authors Mary Walshok and Abraham Shragge chronicle San Diego's transformation from a small West Coast settlement to a booming military metropolis and then to a successful innovation hub. This instructive story of a second-tier city that transformed its core economic identity can serve as a rich case and a model for similar regions.
Stressing the role that cultural values and social dynamics played in its transition, the authors discern five distinct, recurring factors upon which San Diego capitalized at key junctures in its economic growth. San Diego--though not always a star city--has been able to repurpose its assets and realign its economic development strategies continuously in order to sustain prosperity. Chronicling over a century of adaptation, this book offers a lively and penetrating tale of how one city reinvented itself to meet the demands of today's economy, lighting the way for others.

Formerly prosperous cities across the United States, struggling to keep up with an increasingly global economy and the continued decline of post-war industries like manufacturing, face the issue of how to adapt to today's knowledge economy. In "Invention and Reinvention," authors Mary Walshok and Abraham Shragge chronicle San Diego's transformation from a small West Coast settlement to a booming military metropolis and then to a successful innovation hub. This instructive story of a second-tier city that transformed its core economic identity can serve as a rich case and a model for similar regions.
Stressing the role that cultural values and social dynamics played in its transition, the authors discern five distinct, recurring factors upon which San Diego capitalized at key junctures in its economic growth. San DiegoOCothough not always a star cityOCohas been able to repurpose its assets and realign its economic development strategies continuously in order to sustain prosperity. Chronicling over a century of adaptation, this book offers a lively and penetrating tale of how one city reinvented itself to meet the demands of today's economy, lighting the way for others."