How can we deal with the contemporary places and spaces of new industries? A planner's perspective

This paper is concerned with developing a better understanding of the dynamics that affect the relationship between industries and their geographical and spatial context at different scale in the XXI century. It shows the peculiar point of view of a planner with a focus on space and place in building the new post-crisis economic landscape. The paper states that the changing patterns of places and space of industries are a good perspective to observe – and also to criticize – the dominant narratives "at work": global city-regions (Sassen 1991), space of flows (Castells 1996), creative cities (Florida 2002; Landry 2000, Evans 2009, Scott 2010), and creative industries and clusters (Comunian et al., 2010). Starting from etherogeneous italian case studies – a post industrial district, a creative cluster, an urban fashion district, etc. – it seeks to understand also and the ways in which the territories of industries and economic production are studied and represented in urban research, and to some extent in popular discourse. Castells M. (1996), The information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Blackwell, Oxford. Comunian R., Chapain C., Clifton N. (2010), "Location, location, location: exploring the complex relationship between creative industries and place", Creative Industries Journal, 1. Evans G. (2009), "Creative Cities, Creative Spaces and Urban Policy", Urban Studies, May. Florida R. (2002), The Rise of Creative Class, New York, Basic Books. Landry C. (2000), The Creative City, Earthscan. Roy A. (2009) "The 21st-Century Metropolis: New Geographies of Theory", Regional Studies 43.9. Sassen S. (1991), The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, Princeton U. P. Scott A. J. (2010), "Cultural economy and the creative field of the city", Geografiska Annaler 2, Series B.