Urban entrepreneurialism, metagovernance and ‘space of innovation’: Evidence from buildings for innovative industries in Shenzhen, China

Supporting innovation is among the priorities for entrepreneurial cities globally. Dominant urban studies examine the developmental process, power dynamics, and political-economic impacts of industrial spaces that foster high-tech development. Scant research unfolds the governance transformation of entrepreneurial cities and illustrates how the entrepreneurial cities transform the governing pattern to guide the governance process for supporting innovation space production. A new spatial policy entitled ‘Building for Innovative Industries’ (BII) has been formed in Shenzhen, China. Based on policy review, data analysis and interviews, this study investigates metagovernance arrangements of the entrepreneurial state. Research finds that the Chinese entrepreneurial city introduces flexible governance over innovation space production by inviting broader actors, increased autonomy of operative agency and contextualised operation. •Entrepreneurial cities employ spatial policies to support innovation.•Flexibility is introduced in spatial governance for innovation.•Flexible governance propels hybrid forms of spatial development.•Flexible governance empowers lower agencies and allows adaptive operation.