ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines how municipal public policies belonging to the smart city agenda, on the one hand, and cultural and creative industries promoted by private operators on the other, can lead to the development of new kinds of production and innovative workplaces. It investigates one manifestation of these innovative workplaces—co-working spaces—to see if they can discern a relationship between these spaces and urban regeneration. The book focuses on their location patterns and their effects on the urban context, both in terms of urban spaces and practices. It analyzes the growth of co-working spaces in Shanghai. The book draws on specific innovative workplaces or case studies, add a final reflection about the general issues concerning the multiple locations of growing numbers of knowledge workers.
