From Brownfields to Innovation Districts. A framework for assessing the role of innovation in supporting (or not) an equitable and sustainable development of disused urban areas over time

In this era of globalization, the success of older industrial cities will be determined by their expertise in investing in their underutilized assets so as to remain globally competitive. In this pursuit, it is necessary to consider ways of revitalizing their urban “brownfield” sites which could provide inexpensive land for new development. To do this, cities must gain the knowledge to cope with the challenge of turning an underutilized property into an asset capable of fostering socioeconomic progress and wealth generation, with the goal of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable economic development. Given the current propensity of city administrations to develop urban planning initiatives coupled with innovative industry-oriented policies targeted at revitalizing underutilized urban areas, the objective of this study is to show what degree innovation is effective in providing a meaningful response to brownfield issues, enabling communities to achieve their economic potential, creating social justice and equality of opportunity over the long term. This study attempts to build a useful framework for (1) assessing stakeholder policy priorities, and (2) analyzing the relationship between priorities and actual development achievements. To support this research with fresh evidence, case studies are undertaken in two innovation districts within Greater Boston: the Boston Innovation District in Boston’s new Seaport District and the Dudley Square innovation district in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood. Findings from this research reveal the significance of providing local neighborhood stakeholders with a structured decision support tool to further their understanding of how the opinions of diverse community experts can be integrated into the urban regeneration practice targeting distressed areas. Additionally, the model developed here can assist policymakers in identifying the gap between their expectations for development under current conditions and potential success in meeting those expectations. Consequently, the results here have the possibility of helping stakeholders plan strategically their economic development projects.