Innovative cities show a pattern of long term commitment to acquiring outside knowledge, mostly from other cities. Many cities around the globe are on the prowl for best practice and new knowledge. What do cities seek to learn, and how do reformers differ from the rest? This presentation will report on a web-based survey of learning by fortyfive cities, suggesting that the largest cities on the planet take part in thousands of exchanges every year. The presentation will explore critical mechanisms that seem to be at work in the adaptation of knowledge acquired from other cities to meet local needs.
Tim Campbell is the Chairman of the Urban Age Institute in Maryland, USA. He was previously with the World Bank, where he served in various leadership capacities in the urban sector. He has extensive international experience in strategic urban planning, city development strategies, decentralization, urban policy, and the social impact of urban development and has taught at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. In addition to many papers, he has authored several books including ‘The Quiet Revolution’ (2003) and ‘Leadership and Innovation’ (2004). Presently, he is conducting research for a book on innovation and city learning titled ‘Beyond Smart Cities: The Janus Face of Urban Learning’, due in 2011. Dr. Campbell was educated at University of California, Berkley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he received his Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Planning.
This is the sixth in a series of Urban Workshops planned by the Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), New Delhi and Centre for Policy Research (CPR). These workshops seek to provoke public discussion on issues relating to the development of the city and try to address all its facets including its administration, culture, economy, society, and politics. For further information, please contact: Marie-Hélène Zerah at marie-helene.zerah@ird.fr or Partha Mukhopadhyay at partha@cprindia.org
