Abstract
In the 21st century globalized economy, innovation is a crucial factor within strategies targeted at growing and sustaining competitiveness of regions and cities. The emerging trend of innovation-led urban planning initiatives provides strong evidence of how cities are implementing strategies to promote innovation mainstreaming. Hence, these innovationoriented policies are currently translated into the creation of innovation districts, becoming part of the urban settlement dynamics towards regeneration processes. This paper intends to explore the new paradigm of urban development initiatives driven by the increasing demand of innovation. Accordingly, innovation districts will be investigated by identifying the role, as well as the influence, of the different actors who nurture and accelerate the innovation process at urban level. The I.D.E.A. District case study will be examined, by pointing out the policies and planning initiatives undertaken in Downtown San Diego. Findings from this research will evaluate the effectiveness of the new generation of urban planning initiatives in supporting urban growth strategies. Additionally, the level of public private partnership effectiveness in supporting the development of innovation districts will be highlighted. Useful lessons can be drawn in encouraging planners and policymakers towards implementing these new innovation-oriented urban regeneration initiatives within urban growth strategies, important for enhancing competitiveness and for improving liveability by providing solutions for a more efficient land use.
Highlights
Over the last decades, innovation has increased its importance within the pattern of economic growth, moving to the central stage of policy makers’ urban regeneration strategies targeted at growing and sustaining competitiveness in the 21st century globalized economy (West, 2011)
Given the shift of the geographical distribution of innovation from suburban corridors and science parks to downtown areas, cities must constantly reinvent themselves in order to provide an environment that is conducive to innovation and remain competitive in the 21st century globalized economy
The innovation economy, took over from the manufacturing industry sector located in the downtown area, and the role of real estate turned out to be essential for its physical transformation
Summary
Innovation has increased its importance within the pattern of economic growth, moving to the central stage of policy makers’ urban regeneration strategies targeted at growing and sustaining competitiveness in the 21st century globalized economy (West, 2011). As a matter of fact, the urban environment has proven to provide a favourable context for innovative activities to prosper as demonstrated by the emerging trend of innovation districts proliferating globally. These refer to “geographic areas where leadingedge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators, and accelerators. The occurrence of innovation is strictly related to a conducive innovation ecosystem characterized by a group of diverse agents, profit seeking, who generate and commercialize flows of knowledge, increasing the competitive advantage of the entire region (Metcalfe & Ramlogan, 2008)
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