Title: Assessment of knowledge-based urban development in the cross-border twin-city: a Tallinn-Helsinki case study

Authors: Antti Roose; Katri-Liis Lepik

Addresses: Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Vanemuise Str. 46, Tartu 51014, Estonia ' School of Governance, Law and Society, Tallinn University, Narva Road 27, Tallinn 10120, Estonia

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to explore the evolution of strategic spatial planning in Estonian-Finnish context for emerging Tallinn-Helsinki twin-city region in its pursuit for knowledge-based development and cross-border added-value. The paper examines the benefits and limitations, challenges and outcomes of the shared trans-national spatial development policies driven by market forces, both formal and informal relations, seeking complementarities of multi-level territorial governance and eroding socioeconomic disparities. The paper calls for the further coordinated bilateral strategic planning and strengthening territorial policies in the context of a twin-city region and horizontal tiers through the knowledge-based development. The paper evidences the asymmetric tiers and domains of the Tallinn-Helsinki twin-city region and stresses the importance of shared and interconnected strategic planning for knowledge-based urban development.

Keywords: knowledge-based development; urban development; strategic planning; twin-city regions; cities; cross-border added-value; Tallinn; Helsinki; case study; strategic planning; spatial planning; Estonia; Finland; transnational spatial development; market forces; socioeconomic disparities; territorial governance; coordination.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2015.074302

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2015 Vol.6 No.4, pp.299 - 313

Received: 19 Mar 2015
Accepted: 01 Oct 2015

Published online: 21 Jan 2016 *

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