The role of geographical proximity from universities and research centers in growing resilience of marginal areas : the case of the east area of Naples

Abstract

Currently the concept of smart city is widespread. Its value is related to the concepts of sustainable development with regard to social cohesion, to the diffusion and availability of knowledge, creativity, freedom and mobility, environmental quality, and their relative use by advanced technologies.
Think of a smart city or even, on a smaller scale, a smart area, it means considering different variables of influence. One of these variables is the geographical proximity between universities / research centers and the territory.
Data from universities and research centers operating in different areas of technology, present in much of the literature of the field (Lawton Smith, H., 2007, 2011, 2013; Lazzeroni, M., Piccaluga, A., 2003; Lazzeroni 2010; Lazzeroni et al., 2013), show that, when the geographical distance from the source of knowledge (Universities and Research Centres) to users increases, the impact of knowledge gradually decreases.
In this article it is argued the exposed issue and above the approach is declined in particular case of marginal urban area.
Results of an empirical analysis are proposed. It regards to a real case, based on the analysis of the impacts of the recent settlement of a research center, the center Cesma of the University of Naples Federico II, in marginal east area of city of Naples, in which the Region-Body has decided to implement requalification actions.