Ana María Fernández-Maldonado

The role of organisational capacity and knowledge-based development: the reinvention of Eindhoven

The Dutch city of Eindhoven constitutes a remarkable case of knowledge-based urban development (KBUD). Less than 25 years ago, Eindhoven was an industrial town deeply affected by economic and social decline due to processes of deindustrialisation. Since then, Eindhoven and its surrounding region have successfully transformed into the major technology node of the Netherlands. This achievement is mainly based on high and medium tech development, carefully complemented with activities and institutions linked to (creative) design, as well as a careful attention to socio-spatial issues, all them steered by public-private cooperation. The paper examines the roles of knowledge and technology, quality of place and organisational capacity in mutual coherence to produce prosperity, delivering projects that could benefit all people of Eindhoven and its region South East Brabant. The results point out the capital importance of achieving consensus between the regional partners to elaborate and commit to a shared vision of the future development. The main conclusion is that the industrial reconversion of Eindhoven has been shaped by projects and processes which have been the fruit of regional synergy, driven by the regions remarkable organisational qualities.

Polycentric Structures in Latin American Metropolitan Areas : Identifying Employment Sub-centres

Fernández-Maldonado A. M., Romein A., Verkoren O. and Parente Paula Pessoa R. Polycentric structures in Latin American metropolitan areas: identifying employment sub-centres, Regional Studies. The significant spatial transformations that have occurred within Latin American metropolitan areas since the 1990s have triggered many local studies claiming the formation of polycentric structures. This study explores the extent of that process, identifying sub-centres of employment using the double threshold methodology of job concentration and employment density in Mexico City (Mexico), Lima (Peru) and Fortaleza (Brazil). The results, although partial due to an absence of data on informal employment, indicate that Latin American metropolises are moving towards polycentric structures. But the identified employment sub-centres are mostly located in or near the metropolitan core, which practically excludes the formation of polycentric nodes in the metropolitan periphery.

Delft blues: the long road from university town to knowledge city

Besides their teaching and research tasks, universities are increasingly expected to valorise knowledge into innovation. This involves new products, but also transdisciplinary knowledge exchange with people, technologies, firms and markets. This relates to knowledge-based urban development through a variety of locally-specific variables and features. This paper discusses the role of knowledge capacity in the development of the Dutch City of Delft. It emphasises the role of Delft University of Technology as a main player of Delft’s knowledge capacity, the qualities of the local production and consumption milieus and the role of local knowledge city policy. It explores the role and impact of knowledge capacity in urban development in a setting with mixed advantageous and disadvantageous qualities. The results suggest that the reason for the disappointing employment creation in Delft may be found particularly in the triple helix cooperation between government, knowledge institutions and industry.

High-tech development and spatial planning: comparing the Netherlands and Taiwan from an institutional perspective

ABSTRACT High-tech development has been broadly accepted as a prominent matter of regional development policies and plans at the global level. Strategies to enhance it have evident implications for spatial planning policies, plans and visions. Consequently, careful attention should be paid to the role that spatial planning policies play in the national and regional efforts to advance high-tech development in a particular place. This study addresses the relationship between the spatial planning system and high-tech development, searching to explain the spatial implications resulting from this relationship. It approaches the topic by comparing high-tech development experiences in the Netherlands and Taiwan from an institutional perspective. Although both countries have used a range of spatial strategies for economic growth through high-tech development, the results show that their different institutional settings, power relations between different levels of government and conceptions of science park have led to the implementation of two very distinct spatial strategies, shaping different spatial patterns of high-tech development clustering in these two regions. The findings demonstrate the potential of the institutional approach to study international planning issues, and contribute to theories of high-tech development and spatial planning.