Entrepreneurship in Cities

Neighbourhoods, Households and Homes

Entrepreneurship, Space and Place series

Edited by Colin Mason, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Darja Reuschke, Department of Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Stephen Syrett, Professor of Local Economic Development, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research, Middlesex University, UK and Maarten van Ham, Professor, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands and University of St Andrews, UK

Entrepreneurship in Cities focuses on the neglected role of the home and the residential neighbourhood context for entrepreneurship and businesses within cities. The overall objective of the book is to develop a new interdisciplinary perspective that links entrepreneurship research with neighbourhood and urban studies. A key contribution is to show that entrepreneurship in cities is more than agglomeration economies and high-tech clusters. This is the first book to connect entrepreneurship with neighbourhoods and homes, recognising that business activity in the city is not confined to central business districts, high streets and industrial estates but is also found in residential neighbourhoods. It highlights the importance of home-based businesses for the economy of cities. These often overlooked types of businesses and workers significantly contribute to the ‘buzz’ that makes cities favourable places to live and work.

‘This volume addresses the increase in the number of firms in mixed or residential neighbourhoods. It offers a balanced and well-informed set of contributions on this significant spatial shift. These contributions focus on how these businesses make use of the Internet, how they are affected by urban policies, how they are embedded (also in an emotional sense) in their neighbourhoods, and how work and care are combined in home-based businesses. This volume, then, provides a timely and highly relevant comprehensive view of an important phenomenon not just in the Global North but also in the Global South.’
– Robert C. Kloosterman, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

‘This edited volume breaks new ground by examining a neglected but important issue. Given that over half of all businesses in many advanced economies are home-based, making the connections between entrepreneurship and peoples’ homes and local neighbourhoods is essential for both national policies to increase start-up rates and local policies to promote economic development. This book will be required reading for all wishing to understand how to harness the significant but untapped potential for local growth by doing so.’
– Colin C. Williams, University of Sheffield, UK