Cities of knowledge : Cold War science and the search for the next Silicon Valley / Margaret Pugh O'Mara.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

O'Mara, Margaret Pugh, 1970- author.

Series:

Politics and society in twentieth-century America.

Politics and Society in Twentieth-Century America

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Research institutes--Location--United States.

Research institutes.

Research parks--Location--United States.

Research parks.

Research, Industrial--Location--United States.

Research, Industrial.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (319 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey ; Oxfordshire, England : Princeton University Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What is the magic formula for turning a place into a high-tech capital? How can a city or region become a high-tech powerhouse like Silicon Valley? For over half a century, through boom times and bust, business leaders and politicians have tried to become "the next Silicon Valley," but few have succeeded. This book examines why high-tech development became so economically important late in the twentieth century, and why its magic formula of people, jobs, capital, and institutions has been so difficult to replicate. Margaret O'Mara shows that high-tech regions are not simply accidental market creations but "cities of knowledge"--planned communities of scientific production that were shaped and subsidized by the original venture capitalist, the Cold War defense complex. At the heart of the story is the American research university, an institution enriched by Cold War spending and actively engaged in economic development. The story of the city of knowledge broadens our understanding of postwar urban history and of the relationship between civil society and the state in late twentieth-century America. It leads us to further redefine the American suburb as being much more than formless "sprawl," and shows how it is in fact the ultimate post-industrial city. Understanding this history and geography is essential to planning for the future of the high-tech economy, and this book is must reading for anyone interested in building the next Silicon Valley.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Discovering the City of Knowledge

PART ONE. INTENT

1. Cold War Politics

2. "Multiversities," Cities, and Suburbs

PART TWO. IMPLEMENTATION

3. From the Farm to the Valley: Stanford University and the San Francisco Peninsula

4. Building "Brainsville": The University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia

5. Selling the New South: Georgia Tech and Atlanta

PART THREE. LEGACY

Conclusion: The Next Silicon Valley

Notes

Index

Backmatter

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780691166674

0691166676

9781400866885

140086688X

OCLC:

902418909