Abstract: This paper explores the role and importance of universities, particularly in the Malaysian context, for building prosperous knowledge cities of the rising knowledge economy. It aims to shed light on how universities contribute to the knowledge-based development of Malaysian cities by undertaking a case study investigation. In the case of Bandar Seri Iskandar, the paper scrutinises the creation – from scratch – of a knowledge city, including the establishment of new public and private universities and hence providing a unique opportunity to understand how the idea of the knowledge economy has permeated economic development policy within a developing country context. The research findings reveal that in Malaysia, much like many of the developed countries, universities are being positioned to play a major role in supporting knowledge city (trans)formation. While there has been a tangible success on the spatial development based on a rapid land use change towards accommodating knowledge-intensive land use and activities, the research reports that a more concerted and coordinated effort from academia, public and private sectors are needed to further foster the growth and development of economical, environmental, institutional and social aspects of Bandar Seri Iskandar to become a fully functioning prosperous knowledge city.

Abstract: As discourses of knowledge-based growth and their spatial implications have taken hold, the presuppositions about the relationship between urban research and practice require systematic re-evaluation. Universities have become implicated in local growth coalitions, not only as estate managers, but also as strategic actors, employers or providers of evidence to inform policy. At the same time, the role of research has been the subject of much debate, in terms of the need to demonstrate user relevance, impact and value-added according to a range of economic, social, cultural and environmental objectives. It is no longer only a question of what the city means for the researcher but what research means for the city – and how those concerns are mediated by the university as a site of knowledge production. In this concluding article to the special issue, we examine these concerns via a discussion of how changing socio-economic conditions create pressures on universities to ‘build knowledge cities’ and how they, in turn, relate to the contexts and cultures in which urban research is produced.

Abstract: This paper argues that a strong focus on residential segregation limits the understanding of the role of the built environment. The city is used as more than just a place of residence; urban life i ...

Abstract: This paper explores the rise of 'urban science' in the context of contemporary discourses of strategic urban management. 'Urban science' – developing precincts to stimulate knowledge-based development – is founded on an assumption that the positive-sum nature of projects means that all partners share a common set of interests in the projects, and that these interests are around promoting knowledge-based urban development (KBUD). This paper explores this simplification in order to develop a more robust understanding of the role of knowledge-based urban development processes and discourses in contemporary urban governance. Through a reflection on a notionally successful case study from the east of the Netherlands, the paper explores how one particular urban science project led to the development of strategic urban capacity; partners were able to agree to pool funding towards collective regional economic development policy in a way that had not been possible a decade previously. The paper explores the way the urban science project held these diverse interests together, and highlights that much of urban science as a set of practices is embedded as much in traditional modes of territorial development as in attempts to stimulate KBUD. The paper finishes with an argument that more systematic consideration of the relation of KBUD discourses to more traditional territorial development processes is necessary for proper examination of these emerging economic development discourses and paradigms.

Abstract: Post-colonial Nairobi has experienced a rapid urbanization rate averaging 5 per cent per annum from 1963 to the present. The planning framework inherited from the colonial regime and little changed after Independence has not been able to cope with the increased demand for urban goods and services. This has made it necessary for Nairobi residents to seek and source these through informal processes. The informal processes have in turn generated an informal urban process, but since these processes are not homogenous this paper argues for the case of informal urbanisms. The paper traces the origins of informality and argues that informality is not illegal. The paper then examines the informalization of Buru Buru a middle-income estate built in the 1970s and early 1980s. The under provision of social facilities/amenities in this estate has resulted in the residents making alterations and extensions to their dwellings as a mitigating intervention.

Abstract: This article highlights the various ways in which the relationship between universities and cities has been understood in different contexts and the tensions which emerge. A framework for understanding is then presented via a broader discussion of governance, institutions and mediation. Mediation is particularly important as a unifying principle. Global or convergent pressures are translated, reflected, refracted, absorbed and magnified by governance systems, formal policies and local contexts. The interests, values and assumptions and pre-reflexive and reflexive understandings of urban institutions and actors are often overlooked in analyzing university-city interactions. This framework serves not only to structure this issue, but to offer suggestions for further work in this field of research, policy and practice.

Abstract: Whereas many good examples can be found of the study of urban morphology informing the design of new residential areas in Europe, it is much more difficult to find examples relating to other land uses and outside of Europe. This paper addresses a particular issue, the control and coordination of large and complex development schemes within cities, and, in doing so, considers commercial and mixed-use schemes outside of Europe. It is argued that urban morphology has much to offer for both the design of such development and its implementation over time. Firstly, lessons are drawn from the work of Krier and Rossi in Berlin, the form-based guidance developed in Chelmsford, UK, and the redesign and coordination of the Melrose Arch project in Johannesburg, SA. A recent development at Boggo Road in Brisbane, Australia, is then subjected to a more detailed examination. It is argued that the scheme has been unsatisfactory in terms of both design and implementation. An alternative framework based on historical morphological studies is proposed that would overcome these deficiencies. It is proposed that this points the way to a general approach that could be incorporated within the planning process internationally.

Abstract: This special issue will discuss the paradox in the perceived problem of immigrant and minority clustering. Historical analysis has shown that clustering of immigrants during the initial stages of settlement ' and sometimes beyond the first generation ' is part of a natural process of acculturation and integration. David Varady has stated that segregation is a complex concept: 'researchers must be careful of using the terms ghetto and enclave and relying on outdated, simplistic stereotypes. Laura Vaughan and others have suggested that historic clustering of minority ethnic groups can enable the intensification of communal activity, socialisation, networking and self-support, suggesting that settlement in locations which enable economic activity is a necessary step in the immigrant process. Research into divided cities has found that public space plays an important role in bringing disparate groups together, although others state that only meaningful everyday contact (such as in the classroom or the workplace) can assist in integration. This lack of clarity regarding demonstrates the urgent need for innovative thinking in this area. The proposed issue of the journal Built Environment takes as its common theme the subject of cities and migration and a common methodological approach: using empirical evidence and quantitative as well as qualitative methods to take analysis of segregation in the urban context a step beyond describing patterns on the ground. Papers will require a strong theoretical framework for which data will be used as evidence to study different facets of segregation, namely ethnicity, society, economy, health and religion ' one or more of which will explored by individual authors in relation to a specific urban and geographical context. An interdisciplinary approach is at the heart of our work and we invite authors to demonstrate an awareness and understanding of theories and methods outside of their core discipline.

Abstract: Despite a century of research into urban segregation, patterns of immigrant settlement are insufficiently understood. This topical issue requires radical thinking, particularly as it is currently dealt with by a range of disciplines, each of which tends to rely on its own research paradigms. This paper reviews some of the key challenges of studying the subject, starting with the concept of segregation being more complex than the simplistic label of 'ghetto' might suggest. The paper also shows how approaches to the challenges of understanding urban segregation differ according to its given geographical context and disciplinary approach. It shows that segregation is a multi-dimensional process, requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. The paper concludes that research into segregation needs to address the fact that it is an inherently complex and fundamentally spatial phenomenon

Abstract: Universities, cities and the development of knowledge have gone hand in hand over the centuries, but currently there is increasing pressure from policy-makers for universities to combine an emphasis on global research excellence with a contribution to the development of the knowledge economy in their host cities. One dimension of this concerns the physical relationship between the university and business, and the design of new precincts where university activities are connected with the city. Two case studies from Australia are presented here where state governments and universities are working together to develop precincts in which research investment is coupled with urban regeneration projects and an increased focus by the universities on engagement.