Governing Cities in a Global Era (PDF)

with insight, breadth and depth. This book provides an important contribution that will be of interest to all concerned about the future of cities' - Edward J. Blakely, Professor of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia and Executive Director Recovery, City of New Orleans, USA

'This is a "must buy" book for those who care about cities and the future of cities. By bringing together contributions from leading urban scholars in different continents the editors illuminate the challenges now facing city leaders in a refreshing and inventive way. The forces of globalization gather pace but, as the authors of this volume show with great insight, this does not mean that everywhere has to become the same. Luckily cities are different. I recommend this book to readers from north and south, east and west.' - Suketu Mehta, Author of Maximum City. Bombay Lost and Found (Vintage Books, New York, 2004)

'This ambitious book on cities aims to achieve truly international coverage of the challenges posed by globalization, demographic change, social diversity, economic competition, growing inequality and contemporary governance reforms. Using case studies of individual cities and comparisons between cities, the authors identify trends, innovations and contradictions. With significant contributions from Hambleton and Gross, they critically reappraise prevalent theories, reflect on policy and practice, and suggest how the challenges might be tackled more effectively and equitably. Academics, policy makers and opinion formers from around the world will find much to interest, disturb and inspire them in this book.' - Carole Rakodi, Professor, Department of International Development, School of Public Policy, University of Birmingham, UK

'Cities have become the strategic spaces where global forces shape current events, often in unexpected ways. New intercity geographies span 'the globe, making trans-local processes and relations part of the urban social, economic and political life. Hambleton and Gross have brought together a diverse abd international group of authors to provide us with one of the best books on the challenges of governing cities in a global era.' - Saskia Sassen, author of Territory, Authority, Rights

'Hambleton and Gross have brought us a big book with a grand sweep. The editors and authors of this volume breathe new life into globalization and the city's response to it. They illuminate globalization's uneven effects showing how governmental responses differ in advanced, transitional and underdeveloped cities. This important collection is the product of an international cast of authors who not only cover a lot of ground, but do it with aplomb and incisiveness. Scholars and policy makers would do well to discover its lessons.' - Hank Savitch, Brown and Williamson Distinguished Research Professor, School of Urban and Public Affairs, University of Louisville, USA

'Practitioners such as mayors, city managers, city planners and community organizers would to well to study this book closely. It covers major issues - such as the need to provide both efficiency and democracy, legitimacy and participation - and discusses in realistic terms the stress upon city governance. I expect it to be an important book for more than a decade and to spawn debates farther into the future.' - Dick Simpson, Professor and Department Head, Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA

'This book opens an interesting discussion about urban governance which concerns not only cities of the northern hemisphere, but also those in the southern regions of the world. Furthermore, Hambleton and Gross introduce a wide variety of cases that challenge us to adopt a more critical attitude to the globalization process and to consider new vocations that could be developed to improve the quality of life in cities given current international pressures.' - Sergio Zermeño, Researcher, Social Research Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Distilling common themes from such a large and disparate group of research papers is always a challenge. The editors of this book must be complemented for having so seamlessly and adroitly integrated the articles into three thematic sections that can reveal the challenges globalisation and urbanisation pose for social and economic change in the twenty-first century...[a] stellar contribution to scholarship.' In-Spire Journal of Law, Politics and Societies