Mayors in dozens of cities across the U.S. are backing the development of "innovation districts" to commercialize the convergence of new research and development taking place within their startup and research communities.
In a nutshell, according to
the Brookings Institution, innovation districts are geographic clusters consisting of academic and scientific research institutions, startup and enterprise companies, and business incubators located in amenity-rich, mixed-use urban cores. They represent a new platform for economic development by providing a highly networked ecosystem designed to accelerate growth across a region’s scope of creative and advanced industry sectors.
I spoke with the mayors of Philadelphia, Chattanooga, and Albuquerque to learn how their innovation districts are pivoting their destination brands as incubators for progress. We also discussed how these districts are evolving as venues for the exchange of ideas between local thought leaders and visiting conference delegates. Read the full story
here.