Social Innovations in the Urban Context
Social Innovations in the Urban Context

Author: Taco Brandsen

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-05

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 3319215515

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book addresses the practice of social innovation, which is currently very much in the public eye. New ideas and approaches are needed to tackle the severe and wicked problems with which contemporary societies are struggling. Especially in times of economic crisis, social innovation is regarded as one of the crucial elements needed to move forward. Our knowledge of its dynamics has significantly progressed, thanks to an abundance of studies on social innovation both general and sector-specific. However, despite the valuable research conducted over the past years, the systematic analysis of social innovation is still contested and incomplete. The questions asked in the book will be the following: 1. What is the nature of social innovations? 2.What patterns can be identified in social innovations emerging at the local level? 3.How is the emergence and spread of social innovations related to urban governance? More precisely, which conditions and arrangements facilitate and hinders social innovation? We explore these questions using different types of data and methods, and studying different contexts. In particular, we focus on innovations that aim at solving problems of the young unemployed, single parents and migrants. This analysis is based on original research carried out in the period 2010-2013 in the framework of a European project with a specific empirical research strategy. Research was carried out in 20 cities in 10 different European countries.

Smart Cities for Technological and Social Innovation
Smart Cities for Technological and Social Innovation

Author: Hyung Min Kim

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-10-05

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 0128188863

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Smart Cities for Technological and Social Innovation establishes a key theoretical framework to understand the implementation and development of smart cities as innovation drivers, in terms of lasting impacts on productivity, livability and sustainability of specific initiatives. This framework is based on empirical analysis of 12 case studies, including pioneer projects from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and more. It explores how successful smart cities initiatives nurture both technological and social innovation using a combination of regulatory governance and private agency. Typologies of smart city-making approaches are explored in depth. Integrative analysis identifies key success factors in establishing innovation relating to the effectiveness of social systems, institutional thickness, governance, the role of human capital, and streamlining funding of urban development projects. Cases from a range of geographies, scales, social and economic contexts Explores how smart cities can promote technological and social innovation in terms of direct impacts on livability, productivity and sustainability Establishes an integrative framework based on empirical evidence to develop more innovative smart city initiatives Investigates the role of governments in coordinating, fostering and guiding innovations resulting from smart city developments Interrogates the policies and governance structures which have been effective in supporting the development and deployment of smart cities

Social Innovation and Urban Governance
Social Innovation and Urban Governance

Author: Marc Pradel i Miquel

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2020-06-26

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9781839102318

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Presenting social innovation initiatives that emerged from organized citizenry in Southern European cities, this book explores the response to austerity policies implemented after the 2008 economic crisis. Chapters look at the common aim of these initiatives in responding to social needs and challenging social exclusion. Social Innovation and Urban Governance offers an empirically informed theoretical discussion on the scope of citizen action when members of civil society or emancipator social movements organise to contribute to local democratic governance and to enlarge the reach of social welfare. Contributions highlight how, starting from innovative actions in individual urban neighbourhoods, social actors created opportunities for participation in society and organised from below to collaborate with local institutions in "bottom-linked" forms of governance. A timely exploration of the importance of social innovation in urban settings, this is a useful book for scholars of urban studies as well as sociology and human geography. It will also be an insightful read for urban policy-makers.

Institutional and Social Innovation for Sustainable Urban Development
Institutional and Social Innovation for Sustainable Urban Development

Author: Harald Alard Mieg

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 0415630053

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Which new institutions do we need to trigger local and global sustainable urban development? Are cities the right starting points for implementing sustainability policies? If so, what are the implications for city management? This book reflects the situation of cities in the context of global change and increasing demands for sustainable development. Global environmental change is forcing cities to think about their possible futures. Common approaches to city governance, from top-down planning to participation, are no longer sufficient.

Design for Social Innovation
Design for Social Innovation

Author: Mariana Amatullo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-11-29

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 1000464512

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The United Nations, Australia Post, and governments in the UK, Finland, Taiwan, France, Brazil, and Israel are just a few of the organizations and groups utilizing design to drive social change. Grounded by a global survey in sectors as diverse as public health, urban planning, economic development, education, humanitarian response, cultural heritage, and civil rights, Design for Social Innovation captures these stories and more through 45 richly illustrated case studies from six continents. From advocating to understanding and everything in between, these cases demonstrate how designers shape new products, services, and systems while transforming organizations and supporting individual growth. How is this work similar or different around the world? How are designers building sustainable business practices with this work? Why are organizations investing in design capabilities? What evidence do we have of impact by design? Leading practitioners and educators, brought together in seven dynamic roundtable discussions, provide context to the case studies. Design for Social Innovation is a must-have for professionals, organizations, and educators in design, philanthropy, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. This book marks the first attempt to define the contours of a global overview that showcases the cultural, economic, and organizational levers propelling design for social innovation forward today.

Can Neighbourhoods Save the City?
Can Neighbourhoods Save the City?

Author: Frank Moulaert

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2010-07-12

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 1136953221

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

For decades, neighbourhoods been pivotal sites of social, economic and political exclusion processes, and civil society initiatives, attempting bottom-up strategies of re-development and regeneration. In many cases these efforts resulted in the creation of socially innovative organizations, seeking to satisfy the basic human needs of deprived population groups, to increase their political capabilities and to improve social interaction both internally and between the local communities, the wider urban society and political world. SINGOCOM - Social INnovation GOvernance and COMmunity building – is the acronym of the EU-funded project on which this book is based. Sixteen case studies of socially-innovative initiatives at the neighbourhood level were carried out in nine European cities, of which ten are analysed in depth and presented here. The book compares these efforts and their results, and shows how grass-roots initiatives, alternative local movements and self-organizing urban collectives are reshaping the urban scene in dynamic, creative, innovative and empowering ways. It argues that such grass-roots initiatives are vital for generating a socially cohesive urban condition that exists alongside the official state-organized forms of urban governance. The book is thus a major contribution to socio-political literature, as it seeks to overcome the duality between community-development studies and strategies, and the solidarity-based making of a diverse society based upon the recognising and maintaining of citizenship rights. It will be of particular interest to both students and researchers in the fields of urban studies, social geography and political science.

Smart Urban Development
Smart Urban Development

Author: Vito Bobek

Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand

Published: 2020-02-19

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 178985041X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Debates about the future of urban development in many countries have been increasingly influenced by discussions of smart cities. Despite numerous examples of this "urban labelling" phenomenon, we know surprisingly little about so-called smart cities. This book provides a preliminary critical discussion of some of the more important aspects of smart cities. Its primary focus is on the experience of some designated smart cities, with a view to problematizing a range of elements that supposedly characterize this new urban form. It also questions some of the underlying assumptions and contradictions hidden within the concept.

The Power of Social Innovation
The Power of Social Innovation

Author: Stephen Goldsmith

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2010-01-21

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0470604077

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

THE POWER of SOCIAL INNOVATION Civic leaders across the U.S. and throughout the world are discovering creative ways to overcome the obstacles that seal the doors of opportunity for too many. These inspiring individuals believe that within our communities lie the entrepreneurial spirit, compassion, and resources to make progress in such critical areas as education, housing, and economic self-reliance. Real progress requires that we take bold action and leverage our strengths for the greater good. The Power of Social Innovation offers public officials, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and individual citizens the insights and skills to create healthier communities and promote innovative solutions to public and social problems. This seminal work is based on Stephen Goldsmith's decades of experience, extensive ongoing research, and interviews with 100+ top leaders from a wide variety of sectors. Goldsmith shows that everyday citizens can themselves produce extraordinary social change. The book explores the levers and guiding principles used by champions of civic progress who drive new organizations, new interventions, or new policies to enhance social conditions. The Power of Social Innovation features illustrative case studies of change-oriented philanthropists, public officials, and civic leaders. While all collaborate across sectors, they run both start-ups and established organizations such as the New York City public schools, United Way of America, the United Negro College Fund, and Teach For America. The book shows the catalyzing role each plays in transforming a community's social service delivery systems. To complement the book's myriad tools and case studies,The Power of Social Innovation web site (www.powerofsocialinnovation.com) provides links to relevant Harvard research as well as additional helpful resources.

New Frontiers in Social Innovation Research
New Frontiers in Social Innovation Research

Author: Alex Nicholls

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-09-18

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1137506806

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book is open access under a CC BY license. Interest in social innovation continues to rise, from governments setting up social innovation 'labs' to large corporations developing social innovation strategies. Yet theory lags behind practice, and this hampers our ability to understand social innovation and make the most of its potential. This collection brings together work by leading social innovation researchers globally, exploring the practice and process of researching social innovation, its nature and effects. Combining theoretical chapters and empirical studies, it shows how social innovation is blurring traditional boundaries between the market, the state and civil society, thereby developing new forms of services, relationships and collaborations. It takes a critical perspective, analyzing potential downsides of social innovation that often remain unexplored or are glossed over, yet concludes with a powerful vision of the potential for social innovation to transform society. It aims to be a valuable resource for students and researchers, as well as policymakers and others supporting and leading social innovation.

Advanced Introduction to Social Innovation
Advanced Introduction to Social Innovation

Author: Frank Moulaert

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1785360388

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Social innovation (SI) has, in the last decade or so, become an important idea and concept in policy, practice and scholarship surrounding human development. It is often seen as an antidote to narrowly defined technological and market-oriented modes of innovation. Its historical significance and development, tied to centuries of struggles for social change, remain under-appreciated and unacknowledged. This Advanced Introduction explores the historical and contemporary meanings of social innovation and its relationship with political and social movements. It develops an understanding of SI as a form of ethical practice for meeting needs, transforming social relations, and collectively empowering communities to shape the future. Additionally, it proposes that ethical research should aim to be socially innovative in this sense and provides concrete suggestions of how this concern can be embodied in action-research and community development methodologies.