Knowledge districts and their urban proposals: case study

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze urban proposals for districts of knowledge and innovation. These districts bring together universities, research centers and companies, with the sole purpose to promote the transfer of the most advanced scientific knowledge to public management, civil society and the productive sector.The urban project under development for the HIDS - International Hub for Sustainable Development[1] is in line with the new urbanistic model, with contemporary premises of socio-environmental and urban sustainability, especially for the territorial context where it is located.One of the first knowledge and innovation districts implemented was 22@Barcelona. It has been in operation since the 2000s and it is located in the rehabilitation of the Poblenau industrial region. A recent survey conducted by the Global Institute of Innovation indicates the existence of about 100 knowledge and innovation districts distributed in several countries such as France, Spain, South Korea, Colombia, among others.Several factors contribute to the successful implementation of these districts. It is worth noting that the urban characteristics of the cities and regions that host them require an advanced regulatory environment. The knowledge districts mainly concentrate on the innovation ecosystems, which demands a cautious identification of the territorial, cultural, and social specificities of each city.Currently, HIDS's principles include diversity, accessibility, self-sufficient energy, efficient urban metabolism, zero waste, cultural identity, and concern for water, air, and biodiversity.In order to achieve the main goal of this project, a case study of selected knowledge and innovation districts will be carried out. A preliminary analysis conducted by students, in the specialization course in Architecture and Urbanism and Civil Engineering supervised by a group of professors, identified five aspects that govern the implementation of such centers. The centers are: landscape, urban morphology, water management, urban mobility and infrastructure and energy. These aspects are the starting point of the criteria established to select the case study units. The delineation follows these steps:- Selection of case-units, based on the established criteria- Elaboration of the analysis protocol- Data collection- Systematization of the material- Analysis and interpretation of the data obtained- Final report writing