Press

Following on from the first Cityscapes conversation earlier in the month, Tim Williams from the Committee for Sydney speaks to Julie Wagner, Non-Resident Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Initiative on Innovation and Placemaking at the Brookings Institution.

Julie Wagner gives a keynote speech at the Committee for Sydney.

For the past 50 years, many cities across the globe have described their dream of creating the next "Silicon Valley". Yet no-one has succeeded. That’s because the valley is not just a collection of buildings, companies and institutions.

The article explores urban innovation districts—dense city hubs where institutions, companies, and startups cluster to drive economic growth and collaboration.

Urban innovation districts are transforming cities by bringing together research institutions, startups, and businesses in dense, collaborative environments that drive economic growth and technological advancement.

The article discusses the emergence of innovation districts in cities like Montreal and London, where urban centers are becoming new hubs for technological development and startups, moving away from traditional suburban tech campuses.