This paper will address the issue in the following steps. Firstly, urban and regional studies concepts, which reflect the arguments of the ‘knowledge economy’. Secondly, the limitations of these “knowledge-based” approaches will be highlighted. Thirdly, a sketch of an alternative conceptualisation of city-regional development will be offered. Finally, the wider theoretical and policy implications of the above will be reflected upon.

This paper conveys that the old socio-spatial divisions and contradictions of industrial capitalism will give way to a more equal and spatially more harmonious city-regional development as the emerging new global ‘knowledge age’ sets in.

The global capital seems to play a pivotal role in shaping emerging global ‘socio-spatial divisions of labour’ accompanied by global ‘socio-spatial value chains/networks’ – two concepts proposed to capture the workings of the global political economy. Within such a political economy, the role of knowledge is changing- in that it is increasingly commodified. The commodification of knowledge in turn allows for the emergence of what could be seen as a ‘knowledge-intensive sub-economy’, but this has to be seen in conjunction with the growing socio-spatial division of labour within the overall profit-driven economy framework. Therefore, instead of a widespread knowledge-sharing process, what may be expected is the process of knowledge accumulation as part of a wider circular and cumulative causation mechanism, in which knowledge, power and wealth reinforce each other with significant social and spatial effects. Such theoretical conclusions have potentially profound implications for policy action.

College of Urban planning & public affairs
Martin Sokol, tel. +353-1-716.2696

01/06/2004

Martin Sokol

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Community development