The 3rd Knowledge Cities World Summit was recently hosted by a proud Melbourne. Our city’s status has been elevated from liveable to Knowledge City, due to our education institutions, research centres, innovative output and capacity to attract knowledge workers.
Creating a Knowledge City demands the integration of all aspects of a city’s economic, social and cultural life into a coherent whole, for the benefit of all. Melbourne is fortunate it enjoys a temperate climate and plenty of space. In global terms the city’s legacy – the infrastructure, institutions, celebrations and social values held by our people – encourage free expression and the pursuit of ideas.
With strategic intent, Melbourne is aligned with other Knowledge Cities such as Boston, Manchester and Barcelona.
Over the past decade our city has enjoyed a spectacular transformation with many dimensions. We have created new parks, reclaimed the waterfront and reorientated planning toward the preservation of open spaces. Our education, advanced manufacturing and bioscience industries have rapidly grown, attracting a mix of knowledge workers from across the globe.
In 2004, we opened Melbourne’s first new 6-star green building – CH2. The revolutionary building has achieved energy and water savings, staff productivity gains and demonstrates to the city’s development community that clean energy technology works.
Over the past six years, year after year, it has attracted a suite of awards, establishing the credibility of the design choices and the city’s investment. However the greatest advantage is the role CH2 has played in connecting our city and its leading thinkers to like-minded and visionary people across the globe.
It is through the exchange of knowledge and fusion of great minds that cities can develop and provide benefits to their residents. The 2010 summit was successful in providing generating conversation around the notion of a Knowledge City and harnessing the power which was created.
In his concluding speech at the summit, Melbourne City Councillor Kevin Louey said ‘the sharing of knowledge ignites and fosters innovation, enabling all those party to the conversation to improve life’.
Ellis Jones produces speeches for Councillors at the City of Melbourne. Learn more about our work with the City here.
image credit: Anthony Foster
