Knowledge Institutions and Innovation Districts in City Revitalisation: a Case of East London and its Development Strategies

Abstract

The symbiotic relationship between institutions of higher education and cities is well documented in the Global North. The development and growth of city spaces and regional economies have been spurred through triple-helix partnerships and innovation nodes. This paper contends that such development and growth models can be adopted and adapted in the Global South. Using the city of East London, South Africa, a former industrial city, a qualitative approach was employed to explore how an innovation district can propel the revitalisation of urban cores and their peripherals. The plausibility of such a relationship between institutions of higher learning and the city of East London was contextualised through a literature review on innovation districts and interviews with key informants.