While much of the current literature on the economic consequences of an aging population focuses on the negative aspects, this enlightening book argues that seniors can bring significant benefits ? such as vitality and competitiveness ? to an urban economy.The authors illustrate the ways an aging population can have a positive impact on urban centers, including the move by large numbers of seniors from the suburbs to the city, where their disproportionate consumption of education and the arts helps rejuvenate city centers. Given this, the authors conclude that a large and active senior population has the potential to assist a city in the achievement of its strategic economic objectives. The book includes analyses of the effects of population aging on best practices in 40 cities in the US and EU, with surprising results, as well as interviews with city officials and leaders.Academics, researchers and public officials in the areas of urban development, public policy and aging will find much in this original approach to interest and provoke debate.

Over the past two decades, sustainability has become a principal concern for city administrators. It is more than just an environmental issue entailing economic, demographic, governance, social, and amenity aspects. After a short introduction to some theory, this book provides broad coverage of these aspects and their manifestations in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. The contributors discuss, in detail, topics surrounding measurement, growth strategy, citizen participation, revitalization, and competitiveness. Though each of the cities discussed - ranging from Shanghai, to Barcelona, to Montreal - are distinct, there are similarities that connect them all. The book highlights their common elements to provide a feasible outcome for sustainable urban development. City administrators, academics and other researchers and consultants will find both the theory and principles discussed in this book of great interest. The individual contributions will be useful for students at all levels pursuing urban economics, environmental studies, planning and public policy. Contributors: L. Van den Berg, L. Bruzzo, D. Ietri, W. Jacobs, S. Jianfa, J.-L. Klein, P.K. Kresl, D. Maurrasse, W. Mittulah, M. Nijdam, I. Orihuela, N. Pengfei, J. Rochman, C. Shaopeng, J. Sobrino, D.-G. Tremblay, J. Trullen, E. van Tuijl

The global economy has transformed during the last few decades. Though the changes have benefited some, many mature industrial economies (MIEs) have not been treated well by the changes they have seen and have been forced to adapt to dramatically changed circumstances. In this collection of original papers, economists and geographers from Asia, North America and Europe examine the policy initiatives that have succeeded in their countries. The analyses address issues such as local, state and federal governance, aging populations, inter-city cooperation and loss of dominant firms. Additionally, the authors discuss policy issues such as industrial tourism, the roles of education, knowledge and culture, and repositioning a regions place in the global economy. The volume also includes an empirical estimation of the competitiveness of major cities. The contributors to this book hold that it is possible for the overwhelming majority of MIEs to shape their policy in such a way that many of the objectives that will yield the most prosperity will fall within their reach. In that spirit, this book offers the elements for generating economic strategies for mature industrial economies. Suggesting frontier polices to help cities chart a course for future developmental success, this stimulating work is ideally suited to economists, policymakers, city planners, students and scholars of business, economics, urban studies and public policy, and all those concerned with creating equity for the cities of tomorrow.

Europe is in a troubled state. The macroeconomic situation looks grim, national governments are close to dysfunction, and Europeans are facing austerity and relative decline. The one bright spot on the horizon is the potential for positive action at the level of the city and urban regions. In this book, the editors have assembled a collection of original contributions by scholars from Europe, North America and Asia who offer insights as to how local authorities in Europe might be able to chart a course for their city or urban region during this period of extraordinary difficulty. The volume begins with an Introduction, followed by a set of three papers in Part Two examining European urban competitiveness from the standpoints of measurement and policy. This section also provides a case study of the cities of one country - Italy - from which the reader can gain an understanding of the current position of European cities as well as what might be possible going forward. Experience has shown that perhaps the most crucial element in competitiveness enhancement is good and effective governance. To that end, Part Three examines structural aspects of urban government, including polycentric regions, wide metropolitan cooperation, the role of social actors and territorial aggregation. Part Four treats issues of innovation from two perspectives and provides a case study from Eindhoven, while also covering social issues such as demographics, participation, social exclusion and mobility. This set of scholarly reflections will be of considerable benefit to urban practitioners, researchers and students of public policy. Contributors: P. Canonico, C. Donolo, G. Hirsch, M.P. Iacono, D. Ietri, J.-L. Klein, P.K. Kresl, W.F. Lever, E. Mastropietro, D.J. Maurrasse, R. Mercurio, S. Micelli, S. Mollica, P. Ni, A.H.J. Otgaar, J. Shen, J. Sobrino, D.-G. Tremblay, L. van den Berg

Plenty has been written on the competitiveness of megacities, capital cities, and regional hubs. Cities in developing countries have not yet received the same attention - this book fills that gap. An international team of expert academics have come together to present a comprehensive study of the competitiveness of cities in the developing world. Spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America, this book homes in on specific city cases and examines how they relate to the rest of the global economy. The focus is on acknowledging their unique contexts, while drawing out commonalities, and ultimately identifying ways for them to enhance their competitiveness, wellbeing, and sustainability. This volume will be valuable reading to advanced students, researchers, and policymakers in urban and regional studies, economic geography, and economic development.

Peter Kresl brings unique and invaluable empirical evidence, from the early 1990s through to 2005, to examine the relationship between urban competitiveness and economic-strategic planning for ten internationally networked cities within the EU. Planning Cities for the Future links the study of urban economic competitiveness with urban planning and is able to ascertain the crucial factors for success in this area of public policy. These factors include effective governance, leadership and monitoring of performance. The author also reveals how economic turbulence - macro-economic stagnation, the emergence of competitors such as China and Central Europe and the introduction of the euro for example - all have distinct impacts on the economic development of cities. He also suggests that today's economic strengths may create tomorrow's social pathologies, a fact which city planners must always keep in mind. Peter Kresl's book offers examples of cities that got it right and others that did not. Scholars and researchers interested in public sector economics, urban economic development and planning as well as city planners themselves will find much to interest and stimulate them in this book.

This book provides a comprehensive view of global urban competitiveness, offers a useful methodology for its comparative study in different socioeconomic and territorial contexts, and is supplemented with reflections and case studies from around the world. Reading it is highly recommended to understand contemporary patterns in industrial and services location among cities, and the effects of such spatial concentration in the urban labor markets and in the quality of life of the urban population.' - Jaime Sobrino, El Colegio de Mexico'Theoretically informed contributions to this empirically rich text introduce a timely critical perspective to the urban competitiveness literature, emphasizing that the notion of competitiveness applied in economic analysis cannot be conferred simplistically on city relations. A range of environmental, cohesion, technological innovation, cultural diversity and governance alongside business and GDP empirics presented in the book points to the complexity of contemporary cities and the diversity of processes that define their distinctive roles in global networks and circuits. The book illustrates the danger of competitive interpretations of global rankings, paving the way for new research agendas focusing on fine-grained city relational analyses.' - Kathy Pain, University of Reading, UK Acclaim for previous edition: 'If you believe that the world economy is composed of cities vying with one another for capital investment, creative individuals, and high-performance firms, then you might be curios about which cities are most successful. To find out, you will need to consult this book. . . This reference work is thorough in its coverage.' - R.A. Beauregard, Choice The Global Urban Competitiveness Report 2013 is an empirical study and evaluation of the sustainable competitiveness of 500 cities around the world from regional, national and other perspectives. This one-of-a-kind resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed, and involve urban economics, geography, urban studies, regional economics and many other fields. Using a sophisticated methodology and a team of 100 researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the book not only ranks these cities but also presents a treasury of information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of each city in relation to each other. Included is a full discussion on the structure, trends and determinants of global urban development, prosperity and competitiveness, and comments on the policies and initiatives that are adopted by the most competitive cities. Chapters written by eminent scholars and researchers from organizations such as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, World Bank and OECD analyze key problems in sustainable urban competitiveness. The research shows how global cities can improve their competitiveness and the analysis reveals that global urban competitiveness has increased overall, the highlight being emerging economy cities. The comprehensive and concise index system and valuation method, and stable and reliable data, provide an accurate reflection on many aspects of a city and its competitiveness. Scholars and researchers in the areas of urban economics, planning, geography and regional economics will find the information invaluable, as will local authorities, decision-makers and economic planners in cities throughout the world. Contributors include: M. Cointreau, L. Kamal-Chaoui, P.K. Kresl, C. Li, M. Li, Q. Li, K. Liu, W. Liu, P. Ni, B. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, S. Sassen, P.J. Taylor, X. Wang, J. Wei, S. Wei, J. Yang, X. Yang, A. Zhang

Much recent research in Urban Studies has concentrated on the notion of the 'global city' but discussion has also covered a larger set of mega cities, with populations in excess of 10 million. This analysis has begged the question of the optimal size for a city - is larger always better? Smaller Cities explores the advantages and disadvantages of different sized cities, trying to determine their place in the global economy and hierarchy. How can smaller cities gain or retain their competitiveness in a world of large cities? In a globalized world, the nation has perhaps been diminished as an economic actor, with fiscal shortcomings and political gridlock leaving cities more or less on their own in the task of enhancing their competitiveness and improving the economic lives of their residents. This book argues that smaller cities of varying population can be important actors in competitiveness and aims to bring attention to an area often overlooked by researchers. In short, are Pittsburgh, San Diego and Austin less competitive than London and Mumbai? This volume will be of interest to students, researchers, and city professionals who work in urban economy and urban geography.

Three decades of accelerated trade and financial market liberalization have had significant and lasting impacts on the global economy and its component entities. In this volume, Peter Karl Kresl and Earl Fry examine the impacts of these profound changes on the economies of urban areas, and the responses to them. They provide a comprehensive treatment of the issues surrounding internationalization, such as urban transport, communication, and production. In addition, the authors explore the effects of internationalization on municipal foreign affairs, urban governance, inter-city relations and structures, and strategic planning. As nation states have diminished their intervention in local economies, cities have been forced to implement new forms of governance, cooperative inter-city relationships, and city diplomacy. These aspects of globalization have presented urban economies with challenges and threats to existing activities as well as potentially positive opportunities for development of higher value-added, higher-skilled activities. Forced to take a new look at their international competitiveness, many city leaders have launched strategic planning initiatives. Through these they hope to facilitate development of activities that will improve the economic lives of residents and enable their city to maintain or advance its competitiveness and its position in the urban hierarchy. This unique study will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of economics, urban studies, and public policy, as well as to those in city administrative and leadership positions.

Plenty has been written on the competitiveness of megacities, capital cities, and regional hubs. Cities in developing countries have not yet received the same attention - this book fills that gap. An international team of expert academics have come together to present a comprehensive study of the competitiveness of cities in the developing world. Spanning Asia, Africa, and Latin America, this book homes in on specific city cases and examines how they relate to the rest of the global economy. The focus is on acknowledging their unique contexts, while drawing out commonalities, and ultimately identifying ways for them to enhance their competitiveness, wellbeing, and sustainability. This volume will be valuable reading to advanced students, researchers, and policymakers in urban and regional studies, economic geography, and economic development.

'This collection of essays provides a rich assortment of methods used to investigate the complex economic, social, environmental, demographic and political systems in cities throughout the world. It gives researchers, lecturers and students a useful taste of the different ways of studying these phenomena in diverse urban settings.' - Ivan Turok, University of Glasgow, UKIn this timely Handbook, more than 17 renowned contributors from Asia, the Americas and Europe provide chapters that deal with some of the most intriguing and important aspects of research methodologies on cities and urban economies. The Handbook comprises five parts: methodology, continental distinctions, positioning cities, planning for the future, and urban structures. The 'methodologies' section includes interviews, empirical and theoretical approaches whilst 'continental distinctions' offers contributions on China, North America, Europe, Latin America and South Africa. 'Positioning' treats cities in the international context and relates them to economic and administrative spaces whilst 'planning' includes general strategic economic planning, as well as the experience of individual cities. Finally, the 'structures' section refers to contextual and situational aspects of urban development. Providing a comprehensive study of urban development and competitiveness, this Handbook will strongly appeal to students wishing to gain a deeper understanding of research methods in urban economics, urban studies and planning. Contributors: J.A. Annema, D. Arribas-Bel, A. Battaglia, R. Boix, J.M.P. da Cunha, J. Duminy, E.H. Fry, V. Galletto, K. Kourtit, P.K. Kresl, W.F. Lever, J.L. Lezama, Q. Li, J.F. McDonald, P. Ni, P. Nijkamp, N. Odendaal, I. Orihuela, A. Otgaar, H. Priemus, S. Ronda, C. Salone, J. Sobrino, D.-G. Tremblay, J. Trullen, V. Ugalde, L. van den Berg, B. van Wee, V. Watson

The Global Urban Competitiveness Report - 2010 is an empirical study of the competitiveness of 500 cities around the world This one-of-a-kind resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed Using a sophisticated methodology and a team of 100 researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Science, the book not only ranks these cities but also presents a wealth of information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of each city in relation to each other The book includes a full discussion of the factors that create urban competitiveness, what sorts or categories of cities are most competitive, and comments on the policies and initiatives that are adopted by the most competitive cities.Scholars and researchers in the areas of urban economics, planning, geography, and regional economics will find the information invaluable, as will local authorities, decision-makers, and economic planners in cities throughout the world.

This book is the first in English to comprehensively examine the French economy and how it is adjusting to the exigencies of an increasingly globalized environment. The opening of the French market to international competition has forced recent governments to realize that the old closed model in which France had considerable autonomy over policy is no longer valid. French solutions to domestic problems had to be given up in the early 1980s. Changes in technology have had dramatic impacts on the comparative advantage of French producers and the necessary restructuring has been far from easy. These twin aspects of globalization have also altered the situation of France's various regions and urban economies and the highly centralized structure has come under pressure. This has forced a change in the thinking of French public and private sector leaders. The role of the state, the degree of intervention, the extent of control over the domestic economy, and the need to be accommodative to market forces have all been subject to public debate and to fundamental reconsideration. While this is a book on the French economy, Kresl and Gallais deal with issues, challenges, and processes of change and adaptation that are facing all of Europe, and indeed all industrialized economies. Economists, political scientists, business scholars and anyone interested in globalization will find this comprehensive study engaging and topical.

'This collection of essays provides a rich assortment of methods used to investigate the complex economic, social, environmental, demographic and political systems in cities throughout the world. It gives researchers, lecturers and students a useful taste of the different ways of studying these phenomena in diverse urban settings.' - Ivan Turok, University of Glasgow, UKIn this timely Handbook, more than 17 renowned contributors from Asia, the Americas and Europe provide chapters that deal with some of the most intriguing and important aspects of research methodologies on cities and urban economies. The Handbook comprises five parts: methodology, continental distinctions, positioning cities, planning for the future, and urban structures. The 'methodologies' section includes interviews, empirical and theoretical approaches whilst 'continental distinctions' offers contributions on China, North America, Europe, Latin America and South Africa. 'Positioning' treats cities in the international context and relates them to economic and administrative spaces whilst 'planning' includes general strategic economic planning, as well as the experience of individual cities. Finally, the 'structures' section refers to contextual and situational aspects of urban development. Providing a comprehensive study of urban development and competitiveness, this Handbook will strongly appeal to students wishing to gain a deeper understanding of research methods in urban economics, urban studies and planning. Contributors: J.A. Annema, D. Arribas-Bel, A. Battaglia, R. Boix, J.M.P. da Cunha, J. Duminy, E.H. Fry, V. Galletto, K. Kourtit, P.K. Kresl, W.F. Lever, J.L. Lezama, Q. Li, J.F. McDonald, P. Ni, P. Nijkamp, N. Odendaal, I. Orihuela, A. Otgaar, H. Priemus, S. Ronda, C. Salone, J. Sobrino, D.-G. Tremblay, J. Trullen, V. Ugalde, L. van den Berg, B. van Wee, V. Watson

Much recent research in Urban Studies has concentrated on the notion of the 'global city' but discussion has also covered a larger set of mega cities, with populations in excess of 10 million. This analysis has begged the question of the optimal size for a city - is larger always better? Smaller Cities explores the advantages and disadvantages of different sized cities, trying to determine their place in the global economy and hierarchy. How can smaller cities gain or retain their competitiveness in a world of large cities? In a globalized world, the nation has perhaps been diminished as an economic actor, with fiscal shortcomings and political gridlock leaving cities more or less on their own in the task of enhancing their competitiveness and improving the economic lives of their residents. This book argues that smaller cities of varying population can be important actors in competitiveness and aims to bring attention to an area often overlooked by researchers. In short, are Pittsburgh, San Diego and Austin less competitive than London and Mumbai? This volume will be of interest to students, researchers, and city professionals who work in urban economy and urban geography.

As the global economy becomes ever more interconnected, what role will North American cities play? What challenges will North American cities encounter as they become more integrated in the world economy? The contributors to this groundbreaking volume examine these questions and offer a candid analysis of urban economics in a global age. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, contributors address such salient issues as the politics of international engagement, planning strategic linkages between cities, cross-border interaction and networking in North America, wage polarization, and urban competitiveness. Scholars and students in the fields of urban studies, economics, international studies, and urban planning will find this an invaluable resource. In addition, this volume will also serve a key resource for city practitioners.

As the global economy becomes ever more interconnected, what role will North American cities play? What challenges will North American cities encounter as they become more integrated in the world economy? The contributors to this groundbreaking volume examine these questions and offer a candid analysis of urban economics in a global age. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, contributors address such salient issues as the politics of international engagement, planning strategic linkages between cities, cross-border interaction and networking in North America, wage polarization, and urban competitiveness. Scholars and students in the fields of urban studies, economics, international studies, and urban planning will find this an invaluable resource. In addition, this volume will also serve a key resource for city practitioners.