Crafting Innovative Places for Australia’s Knowledge Economy

This book integrates planning, policy, economics, and urban design into an approach to crafting innovative places. Exploring new paradigms of innovative places under the framework of globalisation, urbanisation, and new technology, it argues against state-centric policies to innovation and focuses on how a globalized approach can shape innovative capacity and competitiveness. It notably situates the innovative place making paradigm in a broader context of globalisation, urbanisation, the knowledge economy and technological advancement, and employs an international perspective that includes a wide range of case studies from America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Developing a co-design and co-creation paradigm that integrates governments, the private sector and the community into shared understanding and collaborative action in crafting innovative places, it discusses place-based innovation in Australian context to inform policy making and planning, and to contribute to policy debates onprograms of smart cities and communities.

 

“Blakely and Hu have laid out a map of how the driving global trends of innovation and urbanisation are transforming the ‘Lucky Country’. Layering on top of the industrial, mining and agricultural economies that have driven Australia’s economic success for two centuries, the knowledge economy is now emerging in its metropolitan areas, changing how Australians work and how they build their cities in the twenty-first century.” (Christopher B Leinberger, Professor, School of Business, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA)

“From my experience in and knowledge of Australian, American, Asian and European cities, this book is important to cities beyond Australia. And for Australia, if its society and economy are to thrive and avoid the ironic warning of the book The Lucky Country, then policy makers and business leaders would do well to heed Blakely and Hu’s messages. The ‘crafting’ of the title is a carefully and thoughtfully executed act, one the authors havechosen wisely and placed properly in pole position.” (Michael Neuman, Professor of Sustainable Urbanism, University of Westminster, London, UK)

“Blakely and Hu have provided a painstaking review of best practice in various seats of metropolitan innovation aiming to advance smart development, with American and North Asian cities as particular benchmarks. This is a ‘go-to’ book (and a wonderful complement to their prolific writings in the urban space), for authorities and aspiring practitioners in Australia and elsewhere.” (Peter M J Fisher, Adjunct Professor, School of Architecture & Built Environment, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia)

“There can be no doubt that the future success of the Australian economy will lie in a stronger and more vibrant knowledge economy. Blakey and Hu bring a rich new analysis to the forces shaping the modern economy. They show how Australian cities can leverage their competitive advantage as highly urbanised and globalised centresto develop the next wave of human ingenuity and commerce that will support vibrant communities and a higher standard of living for our citizens.” (David Borger, Director of the Western Sydney Business Chamber, New South Wales, Australia)

“This book provides a blueprint for the essential work of urban and community leaders to create thriving places to catalyse not only economic growth but the social resilience of communities, large and small. I am excited about how this book legitimises the role of place across all sizes of communities and geographies in growing the knowledge economy that is so vital to the future prosperity of cities and towns.”  (Sandy Burgoyne, Principal of Citizen Cities Australia)

“Synthesising their unparalleled knowledge and experience, Blakely and Hu lay an important foundation for Australian place-led development, governance, and innovation. Australia, supported by this book’s guidance, has a unique potential to be a global leader in theurban place making models that are needed to continue to make this planet viable, and thriving, for people.” (Ethan Kent, Senior Vice President, Project for Public Spaces, New York, USA)

Edward J. Blakely is Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and previously a Commissioner for the Greater Sydney Commission, Australia. He is an US National Science Foundation Professor and Fellow of the US National Academy of Public Administration. Dr Blakely is one of the leading scholar-practitioners in economic development in the world. He advised the OECD on Economic Revitalisation and was appointed Executive Director of Recovery for New Orleans by Mayor C. Ray Nagin in 2007.

Richard Hu is a Professor of Urban Planning and Design at University of Canberra, Australia. He is a professorial fellow of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and associate editor of International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development. Based in the Globalisation and Cities Research Program headed by him, his research cuts across urban design, urban science, and urban policy to investigate important contemporary issues about design excellence, global cities, urban competitiveness and sustainability, and place-based innovation in an environment of increasing uncertainty and change.