Postindustrial East Asian Cities : Innovation for Growth

Throughout East Asia, the growth process and its sources are changing in a number of important respects, especially for middle- and high-income economies. Growth is increasingly coming from the strength of innovative activities in these economies rather than from factor accumulation as in the past. Such innovative activities―especially in producer services and the creative industries―are concentrated in high-tech clusters in globally linked cities.

Drawing on a wide range of literature and on interviews with firms, this book explores these issues with a focus on six East Asian cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. It suggests how policies and institutions can induce and furnish an urban environment that supports innovative activities. A valuable resource for researchers, urban planners, urban geographers, and policy makers interested in East Asia, Post-Industrial East Asian Cities presents the latest findings on creative industries in East Asia and their effect on economic growth.

SHAHID YUSUF is research manager in the Development Economics Research Group at the World Bank. He is the team leader for the World Bank-Japan project on East Asia's Future Economy. KAORU NABESHIMA is an economist in the Development Economics Research Group at the World Bank.