Getting back into the "business of making things". On the promise and perils of the "productive city"

Abstract

Recent years have seen a considerable growth of interest in the role and potential of manufacturing in cities. Among other things, this has led to the idea of the "productive city" gaining importance in urban discourse. This debate article argues that the renewed attention to urban manufacturing and associated ideas is to be welcomed in principle, but that the discourse on "productive cities" also raises numerous questions and that not only the potentials but also the pitfalls, conflicts and contradictions arising from the current hype around getting cities back into the "business of making things” requires scholarly attention.