The Rise of Innovation Districts — Meetings Innovation Report
Photo Credit: Autonomous vehicle research at MIT Media Lab. MIT
Skift Take
In an effort to leverage the tech and creative industry advancements in their cities, U.S. mayors are doubling down on innovation districts to transform their cities' reputations and provide a heightened destination experience for conference organizers.
The Future of Meetings & Events
Mayors in dozens of cities across the U.S. are backing the development of "innovation districts" to commercialize the convergence of new research and development taking place within their startup and research communities.
In a nutshell, according to the Brookings Institution, innovation districts are geographic clusters consisting of academic and scientific research institutions, startup and enterprise companies, and business incubators located in amenity-rich, mixed-use urban cores. They represent a new platform for economic development by providing a highly networked ecosystem designed to accelerate growth across a region’s scope of creative and advanced industry sectors.
I spoke with the mayors of Philadelphia, Chattanooga, and Albuquerque to learn how their innovation districts are pivoting their destination brands as incubators for progress. We also discussed how these districts are evolving as venues for the exchange of ideas between
