Title: Planning a global knowledge city: experience from Melbourne, Australia

Authors: Sajeda C. Tuli; Richard Hu; Lain Dare

Addresses: Globalisation and Cities Research Program, The Innovation Centre 23B14, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2601, Australia ' Globalisation and Cities Research Program, The Innovation Centre 23B12, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2601, Australia ' Ann Harding Conference Centre 24A44, Institute of Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2601, Australia

Abstract: This study investigates planning policy shifts to shape a global knowledge city in the dual contemporary transformative processes of globalisation and the knowledge economy. It develops an integrative conceptual and policy analytical framework from cross-fertilising 'the global city' and 'the knowledge city', and tests it by applying it to Melbourne as a case study. The empirical analysis involves a content analysis of strategic plans and elite interviews with key policy makers and informants. The findings are mixed. At both the state and the city levels, the strategic plans demonstrate a growing presence and importance of key themes that define Melbourne as an emerging global knowledge city. However, the absence of a national policy and problematic inter-governmental coordination in strategic directions, and a lack of focus on human capital without due considerations of home grown talent and international students, are limiting Melbourne from fully reaching its potential as a global knowledge city. Drawing on these findings, this study concludes with a discussion about the effectiveness of the constructed framework in conceptualising 'the global knowledge city' and policy analysis; it also points out a few limitations of this exploratory study that require further research.

Keywords: planning policy shift; global city; knowledge city; strategic plan; Melbourne; Australia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2019.098228

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2019 Vol.10 No.1, pp.26 - 42

Received: 02 Mar 2018
Accepted: 02 Mar 2018
Published online: 06 Mar 2019 *

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