Throughout East Asia, the growth process and its sources are changing in a number of important respects, especially for middle- and high-income economies. Growth is increasingly coming from the strength of innovative activities in these economies rather than from factor accumulation as in the past. Such innovative activities-especially in producer services and the creative industries-are concentrated in high-tech clusters in globally linked cities.
Drawing on a wide range of literature and on interviews with firms, this book explores these issues with a focus on six East Asian cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. It suggests how policies and institutions can induce and furnish an urban environment that supports innovative activities. A valuable resource for researchers, urban planners, urban geographers, and policy makers interested in East Asia, Post-Industrial East Asian Cities presents the latest findings on creative industries in East Asia and their effect on economic growth.