Innovation districts and urban heterogeneity: 3D mapping of industry mix in downtown Sydney

摘要

Economic heterogeneity is an intrinsic characteristic of cities, but it varies greatly within and between urban areas. The economic relationships and specific mix of service industries are important keys to the management and design of innovative urban districts that support the knowledge economy. Although heterogeneity is accepted as a general ‘good’ within urban design, the concept has not been approached systematically with specific physical relationships between industries, uses and the spaces they occupy generalized as ‘mixed-use zones’. This paper critically reviews the concept of mixed-use and investigates the concept of 3D heterogeneity using a fine-grained geographical information system (GIS) dataset to scrutinize spatial and economic characteristics of a commercial downtown ‘innovation district’ in global Sydney.