Place Making for Knowledge Generation and Innovation: Planning and Branding Brisbane's Knowledge Community Precincts

Abstract

Knowledge generation and innovation have been a priority for global city administrators particularly during the last couple of decades. This is mainly due to the growing consensus in identifying knowledge-based urban development as a panacea for burgeoning economic problems. Place making has become a critical element for success in knowledge-based urban development as planning and branding places is claimed to be an effective marketing tool for attracting investment and talent. This paper aims to investigate the role of planning and branding in place making by assessing the effectiveness of planning and branding strategies in the development of knowledge and innovation milieus. The methodology of the study comprises reviewing the literature thoroughly, developing an analysis framework, and using this framework to analyze Brisbane's knowledge community precincts—namely Boggo Road Knowledge Precinct, Kelvin Grove Urban Knowledge Village, and Sippy Downs Knowledge Town. The analysis findings generate invaluable insights into Brisbane's journey in place making for knowledge and innovation milieus and communities. The results suggest as much as good planning, branding strategies, and good practice, the requirements of external and internal conditions also need to be met for successful place making in knowledge community precincts.

Keywords:

• knowledge and innovation milieus
• knowledge community precincts
• knowledge-based urban development
• place making
• place branding
• urban planning
• Brisbane

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the editor-in-chief of the journal and two anonymous reviewers, who provided constructive comments on an earlier version of the paper.

Notes on Contributors

Tan Yigitcanlar is an associate professor at the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology.

Mirko Guaralda is a senior lecturer at the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology.

Manuela Taboada is a lecturer at the School of Design, Queensland University of Technology.

Surabhi Pancholi is a doctoral researcher at the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology.

ORCID

Tan Yigitcanlar http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7262-7118