From production to consumption-oriented development: New planning strategies in science parks? The case of Sophia-Antipolis

Overview & Synopsis

Recent works have highlighted the role of consumption in regional development and questioned the focus on production-oriented approaches in regional planning. To date, consumption-oriented strategies have only been studied in specific cases such as rural areas or urban regeneration projects. This article examines the impact of the growth of consumption-oriented activities on local policymaking processes. To do so, it studies the reshaping of local planning strategies in the science park of Sophia-Antipolis in the context of a growing residential economy. We show that local governments are now questioning traditional production-oriented policies as tensions appear between maintaining the area’s high-tech specialization and meeting the demands of residents for services and amenities. However, production- and consumption-oriented strategies should not be seen as being incompatible. Consumption-oriented strategies aim at reducing the dependence on high-tech activities, but they also contribute to meeting some of the science park’s challenges, such as housing shortages. They also help attract and retain highly skilled executives or engineers in the science park. More than a consumption turn, recent local policies in Sophia mark a shift from a technopolitan production-oriented strategy to a hybrid strategy based on tools embedded in a vast continuum from production-oriented to consumption-oriented strategies.