The Marshallian industrial district and inclusive urban growth strategy

Abstract

This article is aimed at linking industrial district theory with inclusive urban growth strategies. The recent growth model of capitalism is here characterised by two complementary theories: Becattini’s industrial district theory and Piketty’s studies on capital in the twenty-first century. It is argued that an integrated approach consisting of both those theories with theories of the city allows new strategies of inclusive urban growth to be addressed. The approach based on industrial district theory allows action on the distribution of income through productivity increases, based on the generation of increasing returns obtained through Marshallian external economies of an urban nature in assemblies of socio-territorial communities, resulting in a more inclusive path towards urban growth.