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 program 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, neighborhoods and urban policy.

Contents:
Contents
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
The Authors
Preface

1. Competition, Cohesion, Governance: The Urban Triangle

London and the New Urban Agenda

Competitiveness, Cohesion and Governance: Issues and Debates
Cities and Competitiveness
Cohesion, Exclusion and Social Capital
Policy Issues and Urban Governance

Conclusion: From Theory to Research

2. Spaces and People: Changing Geographies of the Region

Structures and Processes: London and Its Region since 1950
The London of 1950
An Intermediate Geography: London in 1975
The Changed Geography of London 2000

Mapping London's Geographies
The Changing Geography of Employment
Social Structure
House Prices: An Index of Social Change
Social Patterns across the Region: Households, Ethnicity and Deprivation

The Eight Localities
Reading and Wokingham (East and Central Reading and Earley)
Hounslow (Heston and Great West Road)
Wandsworth (Battersea and Clapham)
Southwark (Bankside, Bermondsey and Peckham)
Newham (Stratford and Upton Park)
Redbridge (Gants Hill and Ilford)
Greenwich (Charlton and Eltham)
Dartford and Gravesham (Kent Thames-side)

Conclusion: Unpicking the London Puzzle

3. Complex Business: Growth and Volatility in London's Economies

Assessing London's Recent Competitive Performance
Employment Change
Productivity
International Markets
Overall Competitive Performance

Instability and Volatility in the Regional Economy

Key Sectors and Clusters
The Economic Base of the Regional Economy
Global City Functions
Capital City Functions
Innovative and Knowledge-based Activities
Cultural Services

The Local Economies
Reading (Centre and East)
Hounslow (Great West Road)
Wandsworth (Battersea and Clapham)
The City of London
Southwark (Bankside and Bermondsey)
Newham (Stratford)
Redbridge (Ilford)
Greenwich (Charlton)
Dartford (Thames-side)

Social Influences on Business Performance
Labour Supply
Entrepreneurship
Local Networks
Crime and Other Threats
Conclusion: Is London Competitive?

4. More Opportunity, More Inequality: Social Structure and Economic
Change in London
Population Change and Its Consequences
The Changing Ethnic Composition
Occupation and Social Class: Is London a 'Global City'?
Earnings and Incomes in London
The Role of the Housing Market
Commuting
Neighbourhood Change and Social Segregation
Conclusion: Social and Neighbourhood Change in London

5. ''Education, Education, Education': The Role of Schooling in London

Skills and Human Capital

Educational Outcomes and School Performance in the London Region
Socio-economic Influences on School Performance
The School Quality Factor

The Competitive London Schools Market
Parents' Educational Strategies
Effects of the Quasi-Market

Further and Higher Education in the Competitive City

Ethnicity, Immigration and Schooling in London

Conclusion: Education, Economy and Society in London


6. Climbing Up, Bumping Down and Flitting Around: London's Dynamic Labour Market

Aggregate Imbalances and Adjustment Processes

Flexibility and Turbulence in the Metropolitan Labour Market

Flexibility and Job Changing in the London Labour Market

Upward Mobility

The Role of Agencies

The Costs and Benefits of Flexibility

Concentrated Unemployment and Its Causes: Discrimination, Recession and Sedimentation

Discrimination

Segregation and Unemployment

Conclusion: London's Distinctive Labour Market

7. Down But Not Out in London: Marginality and Social Exclusion

The Analytical Framework

The Spatial Pattern of Disadvantage

Forms of Poverty and Disadvantage in London
Labour Market Marginality
Poverty
Subjective Poverty and Stress Indicators
Housing
Stress and Isolation
The Persistence of Poverty and Other Measures of Disadvantage

Populations at Risk

The Persistence of Poverty and Other Measures of Disadvantage

Conclusion: Deprivation and Social Exclusion in London

8. How Social is the Capital? Getting By and Getting On in London

Families in London

Friends

Neighbours

Getting Ahead

Trust, Neighbourhood Affiliation and Communities

Social Capital, Civil Society and Governance

Social Capital and the Economy

Social Disorder

Crime

Conclusion: Social Relations in London

9. Things Endure, Things Change: London's Neighbourhoods

Six Kinds of Neighbourhood
The New Melting Pots: Battersea and East Reading
Proletarian Islands Under Pressure: Bermondsey/Peckham
An Area of 'Potential': Upton Park
The Suburb Challenged: Eltham, Heston
The Arcadian Suburb under Shadow: Gants Hill
The Dynamic Edge Suburb: Dartford, Earley

Generalities and Commonalities: Dimensions of Neighbourhood Life

Conclusion: Change and Continuity

10. Steering, Rowing, Drowning or Waving? The Modernization of London's Governance

The Modernization Agenda

The Local Authorities and the Modernization Agenda

The Local Authorities and Service Delivery

The Local Authorities: Their Agenda, Policies and Politics
Newham
Southwark
Wandsworth
Greenwich
Hou nslow
Redbridge
Dart ford
Reading and Wokingham

New Governance Organizations: the Mayor, the GLA and the RDAs

Conclusion: From Government to Governance?

11. The Name of Action: Ideas, Commitment and the Agenda for Cities

Answering the Five Key Questions

Is London Special?

Work in Progress: A New Society, A New Sociology

The Role of Policy: Obstacles and Opportunities

Governance: Structures, Operations, Collaboration

Postscript: The Mayor's London Plan

Bibliography

Index

For decades the cities of the developed world were seen as problem-beset relics from times of low mobility and slow communications. But now, their potential to sustain creativity, culture and innovation is perceived as crucial to success in a much more competitive global ecomony. The vital requirement to secure and sustain this success is argued to be the achievement of social cohesion.

Working Capital provides a rigorous but accessible analysis of these key issues taking London as its test case. The book provides the first substantial analysis of key economic, social and structural issues that the new London administration needs to deal with. In a wider context, its critical assessment of the bases of the new urbanism and of the global city thesis will raise questions both about the adequacy of urban thinking and about the capacity of new institutions alone to resolve the fundamental problems faced by cities.