城市竞争力中的软硬网络外文翻译.docVIP

外文翻译 原文 Hard and Soft Networks for Urban Competitiveness Material Source: Urban Studies, Vol. 39, Nos 5–6, 929–945, 2002 Author: Edward J. Malecki Competitive Cities? The competitiveness of places—localities, regions and nations—refers to the ability of the local economy and society to provide an increasing standard of living for its inhabitants (Malecki, 2000a). In what sense are some cities competitive, while others are not? The ability to be ‘sticky’ or to attract both investment and talented migrants—“to sustain their attractiveness to both labor and capital” (Markusen, 1996, p. 293)—is essential. The ability to create and sustain jobs with adequate pay levels is a typical output criterion of competitiveness. This ability includes not only inward investment in the conventional forms of offices and manufacturing plants, but also international tourism and local entrepreneurship (Fry, 1995). Most research on competition among places builds upon Porter’s (1990) ‘diamond’ model of competitiveness (Healey and Dunham, 1994; Kresl, 1995). Although there may be little in the model that determines successful local development (Simmie, 1997), the structured framework of the diamond model and the simple checklist it represents are attractive to local groups and certainly are better than less systematic local strategies that focus on low costs and low taxes. Kresl (1995) has divided the determinants into two types: economic and strategic. Economic determinants include factors of production, infrastructure, location, economic structure and urban amenities. Strategic determinants include governmental effectiveness, urban strategy, public–private sector co-operation and institutional flexibility. In one of the few analyses of this framework, some of the economic determinants—research centres, university-educated workers and the educational attainment of the resident population—contribute significantly to urban competitiveness (Kresl and Singh, 19