Theme and sub-themes

Theme

Corporations and Cities focuses on the relation between urban planning and the accommodation of large scale organisations. These include corporate headquarters, governmental institutions and educational facilities. The theme will be explored through cases and theoretical analysis grouped around five questions: 

What are the synergies and conflicts between corporate logic and urban planning strategies?
What is the role of corporate real estate in producing urban quality?
What are advantages of corporate accommodation clustering?
To what extent have corporate accommodation decisions shaped cities and what about the future?
How to foster symbiosis between cities and corporations?

Little has been written about the interaction between corporate strategies and urban planning strategies. Corporations and Cities aims at contrasting these two logics, creating a common language and searching for symbiosis.

Sub-themes

Organizational strategies and urban planning goals

What are the organizational features – including security, mixed-usage, integration and fragmentation – that subsequently impact location and accommodation strategies? What are the goals of urban planning and urban renewal? What are synergies and conflicts between urban development and corporate real estate strategies?

Image, branding and representation

How is corporate identity influenced by corporate real estate decisions and the urban context? Is there a role for corporate real estate in enhancing urban quality? What is the significance of corporate outsourcing on urban development?

Agglomeration strategies and location choices

What are the needs, advantages and risks of corporate accommodation clustering strategies such as corporate cities, special economic zones and business parks? What is the impact of organizational urban planning models on mixed-use versus mono-functional development? How and why do urban amenities, cultural life and city image attract corporate headquarters? How do local choices affect global outsourcing, labor availability and retention, and peripheral mobility?

History and future

What is the impact of urban planning on corporate real estate throughout history and today? To what extent are cities the by-product of corporate decisions? What are emerging corporate real estate visions related to rising urban concepts?

Managing symbiosis

Can urban renewal support corporate real estate goals and vice versa? What are the conflicts, synergies and alliances between corporate strategies and urban governance in the development of large-scale urban projects? What tools may be developed to construct sustainable relations and trigger synergy with various urban constituencies?