The Challenge of Social Innovation in Urban Revitalization

Urban revitalization is a long process, and social innovations can crucially contribute to its success. Just as with technological developments, it is almost impossible to predict which social innovations will be effective. Only in retrospect can we say, something special has happened here - and it’s been going on for a long time. That is why local and civil society-based innovative initiatives should be encouraged and supported.

This book looks at bottom-up actions, where residents and local organizations took charge, taking risks to improve their living conditions and to build a new future, mobilizing a wide range of resources. After a theoretical introduction, case studies are presented of a series of initiatives which have borne fruit over a long period of time: the revitalized industrial areas of Montreal, those of Mondragon in the Basque country, the Eldonian projects in Liverpool, the search for urban scenarios in Jerusalem, as well as cases in Nicaragua, Peru, France, the Netherlands and EU-wide projects.

The Challenge of Social Innovation in Urban Revitalization shows the complexity of these processes. By combining theory and practical applications, this book contributes to the debate on urban revitalization and what can be learned from social innovation.