The environmentalization of urban entrepreneurialism: From technopolis to start-up city

Anthony M Levenda and Eliot Tretter
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Anthony M Levenda: University of Oklahoma, USA
Eliot Tretter: University of Calgary, Canada

Environment and Planning A, 2020, vol. 52, issue 3, 490-509

Abstract: This paper investigates two trends in contemporary forms of urban entrepreneurialism: (a) an increasing focus on cultivating entrepreneurship, and (b) the promotion of entrepreneurial ecosystems that leverage culture and sustainability to attract and support entrepreneurs. We argue that these trends signify a shift from the entrepreneurial city to new strategies that shape cities for entrepreneurs. Underpinning this development is a broad normalization and valorization of entrepreneurship as the dominant pathway for urban economic growth. Additionally, we show how sustainability and greening are enrolled in these economic development strategies, promising to bolster the environmental image of the city. We highlight these two changes by focusing on the intellectual foundations of the technopolis concept in Austin, Texas, and the development of a cleantech entrepreneurial ecosystem that has increasingly been leveraged in Austin’s entrepreneurial growth efforts. We offer insights into how the growing trend of “making cities for entrepreneurs†is reshaping urban entrepreneurial governance, potentially exacerbating inequalities in urban development.

Keywords: Urban entrepreneurialism; urban governance; cleantech; entrepreneurial ecosystems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:52:y:2020:i:3:p:490-509

DOI: 10.1177/0308518X19889970

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