Knowledge Milieus Research Articles

Local publishing, local knowledge, local communication: the case of La Floresta Andaluza (Seville, 1843–1844)

ABSTRACT This article investigates the multiple functions of a periodical as a format of knowledge produced by and for the educated population of a middle-sized Spanish town. Situated between media and knowledge history, the purpose of this study is twofold: First, it discusses the contents and editorial circumstances of La Floresta Andaluza. Secondly, it looks into the connections between media, knowledge, space, and social configurations by investigating the periodical as an agent of public communication that addresses (and makes up) its audience as a knowledge milieu and politically responsible group. As a consequence, the article contributes to a new understanding of media history from the periphery and explores the relationships between editorial activities, the production of knowledge, and sociopolitical transformations in nineteenth-century Spain.

New urban governance approaches for knowledge‐based industries in multiplicities

PurposeEuropean metropolises nowadays are struggling even more to attract highly mobile creative as well as knowledge‐based industries. In many European cities, the ongoing socio‐economic transformation of inner‐city brownfields enables metropolises to allocate new economies within these inner‐city spaces. The purpose of this paper is to observe impressive infrastructural projects, e.g. Stuttgart 21, Hamburg HafenCity – aiming at attracting and allocating knowledge and creative industries in the inner‐city for the purpose of strengthening its core.Design/methodology/approachTwo of these large empty inner‐city slots can be found in Berlin (Tempelhof) and in Graz (Reininghaus). The first one is a former airport in the inner‐city area of Berlin, the second one a former brewery located in the inner‐city of Graz, Austria. In this paper, these projects are analysed by focussing on governance and urban management approaches, which seek to accommodate creative and knowledge‐intensive industries as well as the adjacent creative knowledge milieus.FindingsThe paper analyses implications that can be derived from these two cases on the level of governance efforts seeking to overcome the organisational as well as the governance paradox, as it is described by scholars such as Grabher et al.Originality/valueThe paper is aiming at presenting new empirical as well as conceptual insights into how this paradox could be successfully dealt with in order to develop places for these targeted creative knowledge milieus in European metropolises.

«Ich mache jetzt hier einen Wachstumskern»

Abstract This paper focuses on the international dynamics in knowledge milieus and knowledge networks as well as on strategies of self-description in the metropolitan region Berlin-Brandenburg. Considering that European and global competition between cities and regions is on the rise, new problems in creating concepts for spatial connectivity and embeddedness are developing for strategic alliances and public branding. The challenge for the actors in the three case studies presented here is to integrate the heterogeneous areas of the entire capital region of Berlin-Brandenburg with their different KnowledgeScapes into a joint vision. Different paths of transformation, regional development and aspects of place-making are debated. Our hypothesis is that in these disparities the idea of KnowledgeScapes in Berlin-Brandenburg will emerge.

The Place of Multiple Intelligence in Achieving the Objectives and Goals of Open and Distance Learning Institutions: A Critical Analysis.

This paper examined the nature of open and distance learning institutions as organizations where synergy of efforts of all personnel is required in other to achieve the aims and objectives of the institution. It explored the huge infrastructural and personnel requirements of distance learning institutions, especially at inception, and the wherewithal needed for the institutions to survive the challenges of the contemporary knowledge milieu and stand the test of time while ensuring the quality and standard of all the certificates that will be awarded over time. The paper seeks to evaluate the role of multiple-intelligence in the administration of open and distance learning institutions, given that multiple-intelligence allows for improvement in achievement, performance and skills (Sternberg, Turff & Grigenko, 1998). The paper concluded that the importance of multiple intelligence in the actualization of the broad goals and the specific objectives of distance learning institutions can not be overemphasized in the various aspects of the institutional framework of distance learning. It was also submitted that the discipline of distance education as it has often been construed is an eclectic one requiring an agglomeration of intellectual skills and abilities –multiple intelligence.

The effect of the innovative environment on exit of entrepreneurial firms

To foster ‘creative destruction,’ entrants must survive the turbulent conditions they face in their first crucial years in the industry. We investigate how the external knowledge milieu of an entrant, conceptualized as its innovative environment, causes systematic variation in survival patterns. We test our model from 3,431 firms in 33 industries over 80 years. We depict the innovative environment along two knowledge-related dimensions, namely technology regime and technology intensity. While the aligned state of the innovative environment, where product innovation exists in tandem with abundant innovation opportunities, promotes entrant survival, we find that this beneficial effect is more pronounced for small entrants due to a possible mitigation of scale disadvantages. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Governance Milieus in Shrinking Post-Socialist City Regions—and their Respective Forms of Creativity

Creative approaches to governance seem to be particularly context-dependent. Whether a city region is growing, stagnating or shrinking makes a big difference here. In this article, the normative-analytical concept of governance creativity will be tackled from the shrinkage side of city-regional developments in order to make this context dependency of governance approaches a bit more intelligible. Three case miniatures from East-German industrial cities situated on the German-Polish border serve as the material basis for the argumentation (Forst, Guben-Gubin, Frankfurt/Oder). These case miniatures include sketches of three case-specific approaches to creatively overcoming the heavy shrinkage effects of transformational path-dependencies. On the conceptual side, an analytical tool of governance milieus is introduced m order to adequately focus the factually realized network effects stemming from new governance approaches. We also propose placing special focus on the interrelations between knowledge and creativity. The distinction between “soft” knowledge milieus, “hard” knowledge networks and heterogeneous knowledge cultures is introduced here. “Played together”, these structural layers give rise to three different governance creativity types under shrinkage conditions. This may also throw some light on stagnating and growing city regions and their creative governance options as well.