TERRITORIAL ASPECTS OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT: CITIES

Abstract

This study discusses the territorial aspect of development through renovation linking it to cities where communication between people, the resultant emergence of problems and prospective solutions are more intensive. The purpose of this study is to achieve a better understanding of what makes a city innovative and what the problems are in building an innovative city or district. In this context, first, the methodologies for defining, grouping and ranking innovative cities and similar territorial units are characterized. The results of the first comprehensive rankings of innovative cities in the world, Europe and China are presented. The second part of the study is devoted to characterizing debates regarding the European concept for the development of metropolitan areas as innovation centres within the Europe 2020 Strategy. Some ideas for the innovative development of territories in Bulgaria are suggested. The conclusion is that innovative development in a territorial aspect is related to the development of cities and metropolitan areas, which requires regular monitoring, evaluation and well-grounded measures for development, taking into account global good practice.