Reframing SDG 11 Through the Triple Helix Model: Rethinking Urban Sustainability and Institutional Synergy

Authors : Özcan Garan, İrem Güneş

Pages : 528-549

Doi:10.26650/JEPR1650031

View : 69 | Download : 195

Publication Date : 2025-08-13

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This paper reframes SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) through the lens of the triple helix model, exploring how institutional synergy and stakeholder interaction contribute to sustainable urban governance. It addresses the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and innovation ecosystems from both theoretical and practical perspectives and argues that SDG 11 can be implemented more effectively through the triple helix model. The triple helix model provides a framework for understanding knowledge generation and innovation, emphasizing the interactions among universities, industry, and government. This study analyzes how this model intersects with urban sustainability goals, focusing on stakeholder engagement and institutional contributions to SDG 11. Through a literature analysis and conceptual review, this study reinterprets the triple helix model within sustainable urban governance, integrating policy, innovation, and institutional transformation. Based on qualitative content analysis of the Marmara Urban Forum (MARUF21) documents, the research critically evaluates how urban forums function as intermediaries for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and policy dialogue. The analysis process incorporated triangulation across researchers, including multiple readings and collaborative coding sessions, to enhance interpretive coherence and reduce bias. The findings indicate that universities lead in innovation-driven proposals, industry focuses on pragmatic solutions, and government engagement remains limited beyond policy discussions. Moreover, the study highlights the role of digital transformation in enhancing collaboration, as MARUF21’s digital platform facilitated international participation and cross-sectoral exchange. These results underscore the need for more integrated and institutionalized collaboration mechanisms, reinforcing urban forums as evolving and dynamic triple helix intermediaries for sustainable cities. These findings also emphasize the importance of institutional synergy, highlighting how coordinated actions across university, industry, and government actors remain critical for advancing urban sustainability goals.
Keywords : Triple Helix Model, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Institutional Economics, Innovation Governance, Insti tutional Synergy

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