Creation of an Australian knowledge town

This chapter presents an Australian case study of the planning and implementation of a new university town (Circa, 1994). It aims to evaluate the effectiveness of normative urban/regional planning practice applied locally to create a regional knowledge hub. The evaluation process surveys key stakeholders’ perceptions about the town’s development using traditional methods (e.g.: SWOT) and alternative methods from the Futures Studies field (Causal Layered Analysis). The case study shows that a regional governance framework with collaborative partnerships focused on place management and infrastructure delivery is needed to realise Sippy Downs’ vision as a knowledge hub. It also demonstrates that a holistic policy framework for the town’s development is also needed to leverage the drivers of successful knowledge-based urban development.

From university town to knowledge city

The trend of cities, serving as a location for universities and research institutes, to take into consideration new strategies utilizing this location factor for growth-oriented urban development can also be observed in Germany. An overview of the quantitative preconditions shows that many German cities dispose of favorite preconditions for such a knowledge city strategy. An analysis of the policy arena comes to the result that the political actors are confronted with the task of a complex multi-level-policy where networking skills become essential. A comparison with the policy conditions in the U.S. makes it quite clear that especially the German universities have the status of semi-autonomous actors complicating negotiating and coordinating activities between city and science representatives. First examples of deregulation show that these hurdles can be overcome in the future.

Emerging role of ICT in the development of knowledge-based master planned communities

With the recent trends towards knowledge-based urban development and networked society, information and communications technologies have increasingly played important roles in the daily lives of people for social interaction, learning, information and recreation. This research is an exploratory study on how information and communications technologies have been adopted in master planned communities of South East Queensland, Australia. It examines the four roles of information and communications technologies in the master planned communities: (1) teleworking; (2) creating a sense of community; (3) promoting integrated office and businesses; and (4) developing learning communities. More recent master planned communities in South East Queensland such as Varsity Lakes, North Lakes and Greater Springfield have integrated information and communications technologies for activities such as community internet portals, local business development, and for use in community learning centers and education facilities. There is a potential to attract knowledge workers in master planned communities through the inclusion of cultural amenities, information and communications technologies and learning infrastructure. It is important that information and communications technologies and learning infrastructure not only benefit the housing estate but also the surrounding region thus putting a foundation for a knowledge-based urban region.

Urban competitiveness in the knowledge economy

The chapter focuses on the growing territorial imbalances between urban regions in the light of the sometimes painful transition towards a knowledge-based economy. Drawing from the vast literature on urban competitiveness, it develops an integrative framework to asses and compare urban regions’ performance and assets in the emerging knowledge-based economy. In a second stage, the framework is applied to the Portuguese metropolis of Porto and Lisbon in order to illustrate how the current tendency toward de-industrialisation and knowledge-based development affects different types of cities. Using the framework concepts, the chapter concludes with policy recommendations to support national and urban policy makers towards urban competitiveness enhancement for our cases, whose rationales may constitute lessons to other similar contexts.

Beyond planning

This chapter explores Sydney’s knowledge-based development, surveying reasons for its concentration of such development including the role of planning. Sydney’s high knowledge industry concentration is seen as the product of the city’s commercial leadership, its high share of transnational corporations associated with Sydney’s global economy role, and its high proportion of skilled immigration. Such factors have resulted in a knowledge sector that is concentrated around central and near northern Sydney, and in the formation of several distinct clusters of knowledge-based industries. Case studies of the information technology and telecommunication industry and the multimedia industry suggest that Sydney’s concentration of corporate headquarters has been a key driver of growth in these industries, while the presence of a large pool of computer-based skills has stimulated and fed multimedia development. Metropolitan planning strategies have lacked firm principles for the development of knowledge-based industries. Instead, planning for these industries focused on a series of ad hoc place-specific initiatives that have been much less significant than market forces in supporting knowledge-based development in Sydney.

22@bcn Plan

Barcelona has been internationally recognized for its exemplary urban regeneration policy since the Olympic Games of 1992. By that time, the so-called “Barcelona Model” was not only about urban planning and new economic strategies, but about urban culture and social participation as well. After a period of stagnation, the new orientation of the municipal policy points to a more entrepreneurial logic. The growing role of private initiatives and the inclusion of information and communication technology in local policies are questions that affect the definition and shape of the new city, as well as the theory and practice of its governance. The “22@bcn Plan” is one of the highlights of Barcelona’s change into a “city of knowledge”. This chapter asks whether and how this specific plan challenges the well-known Barcelona Model.

Creative Industries and the Urban Hierarchy

As the 21st century progresses, the most successful economies and societies will be creative ones. Worldwide, governments are producing strategies to encourage the development of creative industries and to strengthen the role of knowledge cities nationally and internationally. There is significant policy discussion regarding the role of creative clusters in strengthening local economies and significant energy has been expended discussing the many positive outcomes of such developments. This chapter takes these issues as a starting point and considers the role of creative industries within broader concerns regarding regional development. Referring to data and analysis on the urban and regional geographies of creative industries the chapter considers the extent to which places at different levels of the settlement hierarchy can successfully develop creative industry nodes.

Knowledge Creation in Urban and Knowledge Environment

Today, knowledge is addressed as a key driver in urban development. From an urban planner’s perspective, however, it seems that the knowledge we talk about is out there in so-called knowledge industries. Knowledge-based urban development refers to development of city regions that are more or less driven by the knowledge economy, or to opportunities to attract knowledge workers in order to fuel economic growth in specific areas. The aim of this chapter is conceptualizing what knowledge and learning mean to, and in, contemporary planning praxis. The chapter discusses the key concepts of knowing and their relation to doing. By mooting a theory of assemblages, the chapter further provides a foundation for the analysis and the enforcement of learning in urban development praxis. Drawing on research on learning organizations, this chapter provides a basis for the contribution of urban planning to knowledge-based urban development.

Emerging Middle Eastern knowledge cities

Examination of the knowledge cities’ contemporary status reveals tangible developments and collective efforts for declaring and building such cities around the globe. On the contrary, Middle Eastern cities are building technologically isolated entities with the hope that they are promoting the knowledge city concept. An analysis of projects like Egypt’s Smart Village, Dubai’s Internet City and Knowledge Village, and Qatar’s Educational City and Science and Technology Oasis is insightful in the evaluation of emerging Middle Eastern Knowledge Cities. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the knowledge city concept in depth to relate it to the ongoing processes of creating knowledge-based economy developments in major Middle Eastern cities, particularly in Arab Gulf Cities. It discusses the principles of a knowledge city, and portrays its distinguishing characteristics and processes. In addition, the chapter introduces the concept of ‘urban creativity engines’ in the context of Middle East, and present examples of various types of creativity engines. Although this concept and its related terminologies are relatively new, the chapter proves that there are many historical examples of ‘knowledge cities’ and ‘creativity engines’ both regionally and internationally. A focus on the traditional built environment of the Middle Eastern cities is included to support the main argument of the chapter.

A knowledge-based urban paradox

Despite its strong technological profile, the city of Delft has problems to improve its employment situation. What is more, Delft’s considerable knowledge base has not been sufficient to promote a sustainable type of urban development that could benefit all of its citizens. This case-study analyses Delft’s current business and people climates with the purpose to indicate directions for the adjustment of Delft’s local development strategy to improve its sustainability. The results point out that Delft has placed very much emphasis on improving its business climate, but not so much attention has been paid to its people climate. Delft Knowledge City strategy still has little to offer to creative and foreign knowledge workers and students. In terms of people climate, shortages in housing and cultural amenities diminish Delft’s capacity to attract creative people. Further, the strategy still remains divorced from the worries of common citizens and the non-knowledge economic sector.