Innovation Districts as a Strategy for Urban Economic Development: A Comparison of Four Cases.

This study investigates the urban economic development strategy of innovation districts. As the phenomenon of innovation districts currently is flourishing and expanding across the nation, it commands rigorous attention from those interested in understanding economic development in the United States. Researching the design, opportunities, and pitfalls associated with the economic development strategy will be valuable to policymakers. By studying innovation districts, we aim to provide practical guidance to governments, nonprofit organizations, and other interested actors as they consider devoting substantial effort and resources toward improving their local and regional economies. Because innovation districts are relatively new, this research does not claim to provide definitive empirical knowledge or results. Moreover, it is too early in the application of innovation districts to conduct widespread empirical evaluation. Instead, our approach focuses on examining four cases of innovation districts that present contrasting settings and policies. We assess the economic development efforts as they have progressed so far by drawing on existing theories of regional economic development and by relating the design and implementation of innovation district actions to stated and normative goals. In conducting this research relatively early in terms of innovation district applications, we anticipate the information to be opportune for the consideration of local economic development policymakers and stakeholders.