Municipal experimentation in times of crises: (Re-)defining Melbourne's innovation district

Abstract

Innovation is high on the agenda for decision-makers in urban policy and planning. With the rise of innovation districts, cities have seen entire precincts being dedicated to facilitating and boosting innovation. The aim of this paper is to better understand the potential of innovation districts for transformative innovation policy aligning innovation objectives with wider societal and environmental needs in cities through urban experimentation. To explore this interface, it draws on a case study of the evolution of the Melbourne's Innovation District (MID) City North and its embedded test sites initiative. At a general conceptual level, the key emerging themes are the following: (1) the imp..