THE RISE OF INNOVATION DISTRICTS

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Physical assets are the public andprivately-owned spaces—buildings,open spaces, streets and other infrastructure—designedand organized tostimulate new and higher levels of connectivity,collaboration and innovation.Physical assets can also be divided intothree categories:Physical assets in the publicrealm are the spaces accessible tothe public, such as parks, plazasand streets that become localesof energy and activity. In innovationdistricts, public places arecreated or re-configured to bedigitally-accessible (with highspeed internet, wireless networks,computers and digital displaysembedded into spaces) and to encouragenetworking (where spacesencourage “people to crash intoone another”). 5 Streets can alsobe transformed into living labs toflexibly test new innovations, suchas in street lighting, waste collection,traffic management solutionsand new digital technologies.Physical assets in the privaterealm are privately-owned buildingsand spaces that stimulate innovationin new and creative ways.Office developments are increasinglyconfigured with shared workand lab spaces and smaller, moreaffordable areas for start-ups. A—1. Coffee shops (like Detroit’s Great Lakes Coffee) arenow places for entrepreneurs to work and network.Credit: Marvin Shaouni, originally published in Model D—2. The newly constructed District Hall is the hub forBoston’s Innovation District, facilitating networking andidea-sharing.Credit: Gustav Hoiland5
new form of micro-housing is alsoemerging, with smaller privateapartments that have accessto larger public spaces, such asco-working areas, entertainmentspaces and common eating areas.Physical assets that knit thedistrict together and/or tie itto the broader metropolis areinvestments aimed to enhancerelationship-building and connectivity.For some districts, knittingtogether the physical fabricrequires remaking the campusesof advanced research institutionsto remove fences, walls and otherbarriers and replace them withconnecting elements such as bikepaths, sidewalks, pedestrian-orientedstreets and activated publicspaces. Strategies to strengthenconnectivity between the district,adjoining neighborhoods andthe broader metropolis includeinfrastructure investments, suchas broadband, transit and roadimprovements.—The new M-1 streetcar line will connect the core elementsof the Detroit innovation district—the midtown anddowntown.Credit: Anderson IllustrationNetworking assets are the relationshipsbetween actors—such as individuals,firms and institutions—that havethe potential to generate, sharpen andaccelerate the advancement of ideas.Networks fuel innovation because theystrengthen trust and collaborationwithin and across companies and in-6
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Page 9: across sectors. Examples include:ne
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Page 23 and 24: Endnotes1. Anchor institutions are

THE RISE OF INNOVATION DISTRICTS

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