Project Methodology

The core of the project is a set of city-region case studies. In advance of these, four review workpackages will be undertaken, to cover four principal literatures relevant to the project: on the knowledge or learning economy and society, on urban knowledge economies, on the means by which city authorities and their partners develop strategies, and on learning city initiatives themselves.

This phase of the project has been completed and a synthesised review based on the four literature review papers is currently being produced and will be made available on this project website when complete.

Methodological Development (months 7 – 11)

To underpin the methodology of the case studies there will be some methodological development built into the research through four small workpackages, these are proposed in order to:

• develop techniques for the mapping of a wider range of knowledge centres than is conventionally considered in studies of the knowledge economy;
• develop a process for researching and assessing the benefits of community based learning to participants;
• further develop tools and approaches to measuring and comparing the outreach learning activities of the tertiary educational sector;
• develop a methodology for examining the process of strategy development in cities and the role of learning in that process.

Case Studies

In order to understand the learning processes which take place in cities and the barriers and problems faced by policymakers the research will focus on four cities, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Dortmund, Germany; Dublin, Ireland and Tampere, Finland. We aim to examine a range of formal and informal learning networks within which learning and knowledge development take place, these are expected to include the following:

• formal networks to promote collective learning among SMEs to encourage innovation;
• informal learning among companies within specialised clusters;
• formal networks to promote cultural development;
• formal networks to promote education and training amongst socially excluded groups;
• community-based learning activities;
• formal networks to promote sustainability;
• learning processes amongst the economic development and urban policy community;
• urban regeneration.

This list may be revised after consultation in the first phase of the project to reflect the specific needs and concerns of the case study cities at that time.

Case Study Methodology (months 6 – 24)

In the first instance we will identify and document any formal policies that have led to the formation of specific networks, and map out the core membership of the groups. This then provides a starting point for the empirical investigation with interviews of group members and attendance of any relevant meetings. Further interviewees will be identified from the contact patterns of group members. It is intended that across the seven cases in each city a total of around 100 interviews will be carried out, plus attendance at other meetings with representatives of the case study groups.

The methodology will be qualitative and interview based and seek to identify the processes by which people interact and the forms of learning that they recognise. Questions will focus on the formal and informal membership of groups, on patterns of networking, on the purposes of networking activities, on the content of discussions and exchanges, on the role and input of formal learning activities, on the use of ICTs, and on the interaction between external networking and internal networking within the organisation, or social unit. Interviewees will also be asked about access to on-line information or learning, the use of short courses and learning opportunities outside the city-region and the dynamics of the local/non-local balance.

The final phase of the project (months 24 – 28) will involve synthesising the findings from the four case studies along with literature reviews and methodological developments into an overarching draft synthesis report which will be circulated among the case study cities for comment. In addition the team will also develop a set of indicators and measures of learning (months 28 – 33) that can be used by city authorities in the assessment of their performance as a learning city. A final report and administrative reports for the Commission will be produced (months 33 – 36) in light of feedback from the four cities and from the end of project conference.

In addition to the various reports and dissemination activities, a number of outputs from the research will be made publicly available these include;

• seminar proceedings from the introductory workshop the purpose of which is to exchange experiences and methodologies amongst the team, in conjunction with users from the cities being studied. Each team has to present at least one paper on recent work relevant to the development of the project and these will be made available on the project website;
• a synthesis literature review which brings together the four literature review papers will be made available on the project website. This will provide a critical appraisal of knowledge and learning in urban competitiveness, development and strategy and it will identify weaknesses in the literature that can be explored further in the case studies;
• city case studies will be written up into empirical reports covering the seven case studies in each city with detailed evidence from the network interviews and incorporating feedback from stakeholders and case study participants. These reports will be made available on the project website;
• a manual of indicators and tools will be developed that can be used by city authorities and stakeholders in assessing the extent to which the city is successful in various forms of learning activity. The manual will be published on the project website;
• proceedings (presentations plus summary of workshop sessions) from an international conference to disseminate results from the research will be made available on the project website.

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