The Urban University and the Knowledge Economy

This book presents international experiences of territorial strategies and urban projects in which universities have played a major role over the past fifteen years, through spatial planning and within a multiscalar approach.

This approach constitutes the book’s first originality, illustrating the complexity of certain cases (such as New York, London, or the Greater Paris Metropolis) by highlighting the significant interconnections between spatial and institutional scales. The second innovative aspect lies in the selection of case studies, some of which are addressed for the first time in international literature (Benguerir in Morocco, Bergamo in Italy, Grenoble, Lille, Marseille, and Lyon in France, and Hanoi in Vietnam), while others are still little known from the perspective of university planning and its (political and economic) role in major metropolitan areas (Greater Paris Metropolis, Seoul). The third key point explores the opportunity to directly compare well-established Western metropolises like New York and London with the evolving Greater Paris Metropolis. It also highlights Montreal, a city blending Anglo-Saxon and French influences, while seeking its own unique path. Additionally, Asia’s dynamic role is explored, from China’s innovative university planning to Hanoi’s ambitious projects and Seoul’s tension between national policies and metropolitan ambitions.

All chapters have been designed to raise questions, provoke reflections, and develop a perspective on the ongoing evolution of territorial strategies that leverage universities and the research conducted within them as a means to drive economic growth and increase productivity. These strategies also converge toward an image of the city as a knowledge hub, facilitating relationships between universities, businesses, and city users.