A new conventional wisdom, spanning academic and policy communities, sees a combination of economic competitiveness, social cohesion and responsive governance as essential for survival in the post-1980s world - and cities as crucial to achieving these goals. This interdisciplinary text provides the first critical examination of these ideas, drawing on the UK Cities research programme and other recent research. It combines analysis of the competitiveness-cohesion-governance problematic with examination of the major processes underlying key sectors of the urban economy, physical development, social relations, neighbourhoods and urban policy.

Autorentext

NICK BUCK is Professor and Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, UK.

Inhalt

Cities in the New Conventional Wisdom; I.Gordon & N.Buck
PART I: CONCEPTS
Cities, Competition and Competitiveness: Identifying New Connections; I.Turok
Social Cohesion in Cities; N.Buck
Governance and Socio-economic Change in Cities; A.Harding
Integrating Cities; I.Gordon
PART II: KEY SECTORS, PROCESSES AND INSTITUTIONS
Knowledge, Innovation and the Competitiveness of Cities; P.Cooke & J. Simmie
The Locational Dynamics of Financial Services in Regional Cities; N.Bailey & S.French
Urban Dilemmas of Competition and Cohesion in Cultural Policy; K.Bassett, I.Smith, M.Banks & J.O'Connor
Neighbourhoods and Poverty: Linking Place and Social Exclusion; R.Atkinson, N.Buck & K.Kintrea
Gentrification; T.Butler
Governance, Social Cohesion and Neighbourhood Participation; R.Goodlad & R.Meegan
Synchronization, Salesmanship and Service Delivery: Governance and Urban Competitiveness; I.Deas
Urban Properties: Spaces, Places and the Property Business; S.Guy, J.Henneberry & G.Bramley
How Urban Labour Markets Matter; I.Gordon & I.Turok
Conclusion: Moving Beyond the Conventional Wisdom; N.Buck, I.Gordon, A.Harding & I.Turok.