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.

NICK BUCK is Professor and Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, UK. IAN GORDON is Professor of Human Geography, London School of Economics, UK. ALAN HARDING is Professor of Urban and Regional Governance and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures, Salford University, UK. IVAN TUROK is Professor of Urban Economic Development, University of Glasgow, UK.