Urban structural dynamics and innovative milieux: the communication and the fashion production systems in the metropolitan area of Milan

Characteristics of innovative "milieux" (a special type of industrial district), which to a certain extent may be considered as the conditions for their existence, are well-known but in which sense can we speak of "urban" milieux? Not really in terms of quantitative relevance of these industries, even including indirect effects ("filières"): the urban production fabric is highly diversified, and such filières represent only a minimal part of total employment. The paper probes further into this question through an empirical case study. Milan traditionally plays a leading role in the Italian city system, aided and complemented by the rest of Lombardy region. After a synthesis of the local territorial and governance systems, we deal with recent structural, technological, and locational changes of the communication production and fashion sectors, through both quantitative and qualitative data. Then we look at dynamic links and interactions of the two production systems with the city, building upon 15 direct interviews and questionnaire interviews. The two localized production systems emerge as good examples of urban innovative milieux, with different nuances and degree of completeness. They do not exhaust the development potential of the city, but without them the city would be less innovative, less international, less successful. The two milieux are subject to external competitive challenges, and the most visible limit lies nowadays in the inexistent dialogue with the local governments, in a field where it could on the contrary show wide beneficial effects.