THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES IN SETTING THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AGENDA.

• Author: Cohen, Steven

A Review of Cities and the Knowledge Economy: Promise, Politics and Possibilities By Tim May and Beth Perry

(Routledge, 2018), 204 pages.

In Cities and the Knowledge Economy, University of Sheffield faculty Tim May and Beth Perry critique the dynamics of knowledge sharing within the global urban economy. The aim of the book is to examine how the knowledge economy works and who has benefited from its emergence. They discuss the knowledge economy's role in urban development issues and analyze how producers of knowledge could become a more accessible resource in building sustainable cities. The authors primarily focus on the role and dynamics of universities as knowledge producers and communicators to the outside world, and how their organizational structure can and should influence communities outside the university.

The work categorizes these ideas into three distinct sections:

1. Promise: background on the theory of knowledge production and urban development;

2. Politics: an examination of the political role of the knowledge economy and its role in urban life; and

3. Possibilities: a discussion of the consequences of the knowledge economy for urban communities and an exploration of alternatives for the future.

The knowledge economy emerged in the developed world starting in the 1970s as a result of the transition from a manufacturing- to a service-oriented, information-driven economy. Knowledge became a valuable foundation for economic growth and wealth, and the need for human interaction and group work made the knowledge economy of particular importance in urban life. May and Perry discuss the need to focus greater attention on aligning knowledge communities and local governments to effectively collaborate to solve problems. Government structures have been slow to respond to the needs and demands placed on knowledge workers and communities.

The authors discuss universities as a central force in the development of knowledge and economic improvement. They identify a number of issues related to the connections between universities and government, and more broadly connections to civil society in urban communities. In their view, the universities' elitist nature can be problematic and they can be filled with faculty concerned with their academic standing and in competition with other institutions to claim their "world-class" credentials. As a result, the authors maintain that universities often ignore the needs of their own communities.

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