Inventive city regions : path dependence and creative knowledge strategies Introduction Theoretical framework Research design and methodology Framing the cases: comparative facts and figures Amsterdam: social and political obstacles on the road towards a creative knowledge region Munich: the tricky luxury of long lasting success Helsinki: beyond the Nokia revolution Barcelona: competitiveness vs. sustainability Manchester: phoenix from the ashes Birmingham: overcoming modernism and the shadow of London Leipzig: a confusing mix of growth and shrinkage Conclusions; pathways strengths and strategies