Having two of the top universities in the world within a couple of miles of each other doesn't hurt. But Boyd Cohen looks at Boston's cutting-edge efforts to foster innovation within and outside of its universities, that make it a global leader.
Cohen profiles some of the business models and approaches to supporting innovation that make the city the premier "innovation ecosystem in the world," outside of Silicon Valley. He spotlights MassChallenge, "Perhaps the largest single accelerator in the world", and MIT's Legatum Center, which engages, "talented MIT students who want to make for-profit startups that have a high impact in developing countries," and others to support his thesis.
According to Cohen, "One of the under-explored components of smart cities is how they enable
and attract smart citizens to innovate solutions that improve the
quality of life locally and around the globe, all while growing the
local and regional economy." And in Boston, "which has many other
smart characteristics--including quality transit and renewable energy
leadership--" programs such as those described by Cohen are, "succeeding
in facilitating the next wave of startups and are attracting
entrepreneurs from across the world."
FULL STORY: Why Boston Is One Of The World’s Smartest Cities
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Study: Good Access to Transit Attracts Startups
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research