ABSTRACT
This chapter presents path dependence and related deep-structural conditions for the development of knowledge intensive and creative industries. It highlights some theoretical ideas about the essential conditions for economic development, knowledge intensive and creative industries. Mahoney argues that Path dependence characterizes specifically those historical sequences in which contingent events set into motion institutional patterns or event chains that have deterministic properties. Path dependence is about the time-dependent development of networks of relationships between actors and about historically grown embeddedness that have their reflection in urban development. A third deep-structural factor we would like to mention as likely producing long-lasting impact is whether cities have been important political or economic decision making centres over a long period of time. In traditional theory much attention is given to agglomeration advantages, economies of scale and economic clusters. Amenities and related factors that create a good climate to be for people, seem to be part of contrasting, albeit in the meantime heavily criticised theory.
