Promoting the local knowledge economy is a preoccupation of urban and regional policymakers the world over and it is generally recognised that knowledge has become a prime source of economic growth and development.

This book analyzes one increasingly popular type of urban knowledge policy: the creation of knowledge locations. This term, as we use it, includes science parks, technology parks, open innovation campuses, creative districts, media hubs and other groupings.

The book is based on a large international comparative study of the development of such locations in five European cities - Dublin, Eindhoven, Helsinki, Munich, and San Sebastian - and the Korean city of Incheon.

Since the late 1990s, city councils have become increasingly aware of the potential for information technologies (ICTs) to improve the management of cities and as an instrument for economic and social policy. This has resulted in a wave of urban ICT strategies and policies, such as the adoption of ICTs within the city administration itself, projects that facilitate access to ICTs by weaker social groups and policies to improve the urban electronic infrastructure. By comparing eight cities - Barcelona, Cape Town, Eindhoven, Johnnesburg, Manchester, Tampere, the Hague and Venice - this book examines a range of innovative urban e-governance strategies and develops a framework of analysis that permits a common approach. Throughout the book, a distinction is made between access policies (aimed at improving access to ICTs for all citizens), content policies (directed to improve the use of ICTs in the city administration and semi-public domains) and infrastructure policies (to improve the provision of broadband infrastructure). For each of the cities, e-strategies and policies are critically reviewed and compared. The book reveals that urban e-strategies have evolved from an internal and technology-centred orientation to a more outward-looking approach.

Based on a clear and comprehensive literature review, this book contains an analysis of five knowledge locations in Europe and one in South Korea. The case studies in the book cover several European countries (Ireland, Finland, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands). The cases are well grounded in the different contexts that these national settings provide, which allows comparisons between them.

In large cities in developed countries, the share of manufacturing has declined drastically in the last decades and the share of service has grown as many manufacturing firms have closed or moved to lower-cost locations. The process of deindustrialization is often seen as part of the inevitable shift towards a knowledge based economy and urban economies come to rely on research and development, financial services, tourism and the creative industries. This book looks at the changing link between manufacturing and knowledge-based activities in urban regions. The authors develop a new framework drawing on insights from organization studies and regional economic literature looking at various international case studies in Western and Eastern Europe, South America and Asia.

In large cities in developed countries, the share of manufacturing has declined drastically in the last decades and the share of service has grown as many manufacturing firms have closed or moved to lower-cost locations. The process of deindustrialization is often seen as part of the inevitable shift towards a knowledge based economy and urban economies come to rely on research and development, financial services, tourism and the creative industries. This book looks at the changing link between manufacturing and knowledge-based activities in urban regions. The authors develop a new framework drawing on insights from organization studies and regional economic literature looking at various international case studies in Western and Eastern Europe, South America and Asia.

This title was first published in 2002: The information revolution has deeply influenced the development of Europe's large cities. They are faced with new opportunities and threats from the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and require strategic policy responses. By examining and comparing five European cities - Eindhoven, Helsinki, Manchester, Marseilles and the Hague - this book sheds light on the impact of ICTs on urban development and considers the consequences for urban management. Case studies show how cities use new technologies to improve the delivery of municipal services, to increase civil participation and local democracy, to help their citizens and businesses make the shift to the information society, and to fight the digital divide . These analyses reveal strategic challenges and potential pitfalls for ICT policy. The book offers a unique international perspective on the impact and potential of information technologies on urban development. The integrative approach - taking economic, social and accessibility issues into account - reveals many new insights.

This title was first published in 2002: The information revolution has deeply influenced the development of Europe's large cities. They are faced with new opportunities and threats from the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and require strategic policy responses. By examining and comparing five European cities - Eindhoven, Helsinki, Manchester, Marseilles and the Hague - this book sheds light on the impact of ICTs on urban development and considers the consequences for urban management. Case studies show how cities use new technologies to improve the delivery of municipal services, to increase civil participation and local democracy, to help their citizens and businesses make the shift to the information society, and to fight the digital divide . These analyses reveal strategic challenges and potential pitfalls for ICT policy. The book offers a unique international perspective on the impact and potential of information technologies on urban development. The integrative approach - taking economic, social and accessibility issues into account - reveals many new insights.

Since the late 1990s, city councils have become increasingly aware of the potential for information technologies (ICTs) to improve the management of cities and as an instrument for economic and social policy. This has resulted in a wave of urban ICT strategies and policies, such as the adoption of ICTs within the city administration itself, projects that facilitate access to ICTs by weaker social groups and policies to improve the urban electronic infrastructure. By comparing eight cities - Barcelona, Cape Town, Eindhoven, Johnnesburg, Manchester, Tampere, the Hague and Venice - this book examines a range of innovative urban e-governance strategies and develops a framework of analysis that permits a common approach. Throughout the book, a distinction is made between access policies (aimed at improving access to ICTs for all citizens), content policies (directed to improve the use of ICTs in the city administration and semi-public domains) and infrastructure policies (to improve the provision of broadband infrastructure). For each of the cities, e-strategies and policies are critically reviewed and compared. The book reveals that urban e-strategies have evolved from an internal and technology-centred orientation to a more outward-looking approach.

Why are some regions and cities so good at attracting talented people, creating high-level knowledge, and producing exciting new ideas and innovations? What are the ingredients of success? Can innovative cities be created and stimulated, or do they just flourish by mere chance? This book analyses the development and management of innovation systems in cities, in order to provide a better understanding of what makes such systems perform. The book opens by developing a conceptual model that combines insights from urban economics with economic geography, urban governance and place marketing. This highlights the relevance of path dependence, different types of proximity (and the role of clusters, networks and platforms), institutional conditions, place attractiveness and place identity in the evolution of local innovation systems. The authors then draw on this conceptual framework to structure empirical case studies in three cities with a relatively high innovation performance: Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden) and Suzhou (China). Through these case studies they provide a detailed analysis of how successful innovation systems evolve and what makes them tick. Unique to this book is the linking of analysis to concrete policy and management responses. The book ends with a discussion on six themes in the development of successful urban innovation systems: firm-capabilities and leader firms, higher education and research, attractive environment, place branding, institutional environment and entrepreneurship. Each theme is examined fully, drawing lessons from the case studies, and from recent insights and other cases discussed in the literature. This title will be of interest to students, researchers and policymakers involved in regional innovation systems, knowledge locations and cluster development.

Why are some regions and cities so good at attracting talented people, creating high-level knowledge, and producing exciting new ideas and innovations? What are the ingredients of success? Can innovative cities be created and stimulated, or do they just flourish by mere chance? This book analyses the development and management of innovation systems in cities, in order to provide a better understanding of what makes such systems perform. The book opens by developing a conceptual model that combines insights from urban economics with economic geography, urban governance and place marketing. This highlights the relevance of path dependence, different types of proximity (and the role of clusters, networks and platforms), institutional conditions, place attractiveness and place identity in the evolution of local innovation systems. The authors then draw on this conceptual framework to structure empirical case studies in three cities with a relatively high innovation performance: Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden) and Suzhou (China). Through these case studies they provide a detailed analysis of how successful innovation systems evolve and what makes them tick. Unique to this book is the linking of analysis to concrete policy and management responses. The book ends with a discussion on six themes in the development of successful urban innovation systems: firm-capabilities and leader firms, higher education and research, attractive environment, place branding, institutional environment and entrepreneurship. Each theme is examined fully, drawing lessons from the case studies, and from recent insights and other cases discussed in the literature. This title will be of interest to students, researchers and policymakers involved in regional innovation systems, knowledge locations and cluster development.