The Janus Face of Urban Learning
Friday, May 21, 2010 13:13
Comparing New Knowledge and Informal Networks in Four Cities
Informal networks in Four cities
In two previous posts Lessons in Learning for the Future Prosperity of Cities and Torino Città che Impara (Italian only) we wrote about the work developed by Tim Campbell, Chairman of the Urban Age Institute, with the German Marshall Fund on learning cities. A US and European bridging research program called the Comparative Domestic Policy that addresses mid-range cities in transformation and their capacity to ‘learn’ by gaining leverage from knowledge in order to improve the social and economical condition of the urban environment for long-term benefits.
The research work of the GMF reveals that a quantifiable amount of knowledge in cities resides in informal networks, the impact of which has a significant influence on cities’ learning potential. In a comparative paper released in April 2010, The Janus Face of Urban Learning – Comparing New Knowledge and Informal Networks in Four Cities, Tim Campbell examines mechanisms of learning in four cities: Barcelona, Charlotte, Portland (OR) and Torino with the aim of measuring the importance of knowledge imported from other cities and exploring the mechanisms by which new ideas are considered internally by activist elites who engage in the planning process.
Here’s the synthesis:
Results and Conclusions
Perhaps the most surprising finding is that informal networks of planners perform a clear role in converting knowledge into innovative applications to solve local problems. But networks also play multiple functions, including storage of knowledge and incorporation of new members into the elites. Each city exhibits a distinct structure of its informal network, suggesting that different pathways to success are possible. Also, quantitative measures of informal networks may be a useful indicator of the “innovative milieu” often mentioned in the literature. The research also found that city visits play an important role in acquiring new knowledge, the feedstock of innovation.
Takeaway for practice
Informal networks of trust are easily measured, quantifiable, and a useful method of gauging a city’s style of knowledge processing. Also, to be good learners, cities need to manage the tradeoffs between speed and diversity in internal deliberations. The outcome of this balance shapes the coherence of a city’s identity and its prospects for competitiveness. A related issue is the flux in membership among informal elites and the importance of incorporating new arrivals, immigrants who represent many varieties of global talent.
Download pdf here
Heather Fenyk says:
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Cluster | City – Design – Innovation » The Janus Face of Urban Learning http://bit.ly/c1LUIE
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New blog Post: The Janus Face of Urban Planning http://tinyurl.com/3yzwwrn
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