Higher Learning and City Development

Abstract

The paper explores the use and contribution of institutions of higher learning in innovative city development strategies through knowledge production. Higher learning institutions in the Global North have become central in the redevelopment of post-industrial cities that can no longer depend on heavy industries but knowledge through the adoption of triple helix models. In the Global South, higher learning institutions have lagged in leading redevelopment initiatives. This paper uses an exploratory approach in examining how universities, through knowledge production and dissemination, can lead the growth agenda in the city development. It makes use of East London as a case study where knowledge-driven initiatives have the potential to reinvent the city. The paper concludes that, by embracing knowledge-based approaches, great opportunities exist for collaborations between the city and universities in the growth and redevelopment of East London, and other cities in the Global South.