Planning for Creative Urban Regions

Progress toward better understanding of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their contribution to knowledge-based urban development is evident. The move has been made from Mitchell's (1995) visions of electronic ago-ras and windowless and peopleless libraries, and discussions of expected policy challenges and implications toward academic and applied attention to the ICT-related patterns, requirements, opportunities , and effects. Interestingly, the research findings indicate that the reality seems to be more blurred and complex than the speculative and clean images of the future. Perhaps we are currently in the state of transition between the analog and digital cities, where, as Thomas (1998) claims, " the structure and function of a country (or city) does not correspond to the external environment with which it has to interact " (p. 7). He terms this state " the moment of discontinuity. " So, are we " in between " ? Is our knowledge and practice out of sync with technological possibilities and dynamics? In some ways the history is repeating itselfthe things we know have been happening before are coming to bear again: (a) the unique interplay between a new technology and the city; and (b) the pivotal role of innovation, creativity, and diversity in urban development, planning, and management. Jane Jacobs noticed and wrote about the latter almost half a century ago (1961, 1969). These are the key ingredients of urban vitalityeconomic, social, and cultural. Creative knowledge has been responsible for urban prosperity since the first permanent human settlements were established, and it seems to be the driver of progress nowadays as well (see Figure 1). But what exactly the creative knowledge consists of and how it contributes to urban vitality is not easy to untangle. The editors and authors of this book have made a noble effort to address this phenomenon from various perspectives with knowledge, not only ICT-based, but broadly construed as research and development (R&D) activities, service industry, innovations, and information society. With regard to the longstanding city and technology interplay, it is evident that urban environ