Innovation and the city.

Innovation is an increasingly globalised phenomenon but the highest rates of visible innovation are found in and around cities. This paper explores the 'urban factors' that support innovative activity, focusing on English cities. Agglomeration economies can help explain both cities' resilience and the characteristics of urban markets, assets, networks and institutions that help innovation to take place. A high-level explanatory framework is set out, using the concepts of 'urban hubs' and 'local links' to draw together these ideas. The framework is then explored using five case studies from the UK and abroad. The findings suggest a number of different 'innovation trajectories' for different city types. Innovation policymakers should pay more attention to improving urban infrastructure, skills and critical mass, and should devolve strategy-making towards pan-regional and sub-regional actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]