Vallejo, California: a case for promoting a city region innovation system?

Abstract

This article investigates the innovative city region of the San Francisco Bay Area. However, it does not focus on its prosperous places, but instead analyses one of its social, economic and geographical fringes: the city of Vallejo. The municipality received the infamous distinction of being the largest city in the USA to have been officially bankrupt, from May 2008 to November 2011. Findings are based on an historical-economic-geographic study and dozens of interviews. It is argued that Vallejo, and more importantly the San Francisco city region, requires a deep process of socioeconomic innovation. This article explores the concept of City Region Innovation System Promotion, still in a preliminary stage, as a potential way to improve entrepreneurial dynamics and innovation in the ‘broad sense’. The suggestions here can be potentially useful for city regions in Western countries.