Re-making urban economic geography. Start-ups, entrepreneurial support and the Makers Movement: A critical assessment of policy mobility in Rome

A new type of urban economy is emerging in many cities of the world based on innovation and soft-technology among micro and small enterprises. This movement back to the city has been promoted by both bottom-up and top-down interventions. The Maker Movement, start-ups tailored policy agendas and shared service accommodations set ups are all different facets of business regulations oriented to promoting entrepreneurial ventures as a way to trigger new economic growth in lagging urban environments. This paper looks at the case of Rome and compares it with other cases and policy interventions around the world. The results raise concerns about the efficacy of policy mobility in this connection. The planning system still fails to address the impact these activities might have settling on an existing urban fabric and giving new life to derelict areas of the city. The few implemented regeneration strategies that exist have mainly emulated past experiences of creative cities and clusters. Yet, from an economic point of view, start-ups have become the new panacea in neo-liberalised job markets. The remaking of new urban economies is influencing contemporary processes of regeneration in cities of both developed and developing world and a better understanding of its dynamics is needed to inform future policy making processes.