European Cities And Global Competitiveness

Publish Date：2015-02-16 10:05:55

Strategies forImproving Performance

Edited by Peter KarlKresl, Charles P. Vaughan Professor of Economics (Emiritus), BucknellUniversity, US and President, Global Urban Competitiveness Project and DanieleIetri, eCampus University, Italy They are members of AISLo (Italian Associationfor Local Development) and GUCP (Global Urban Competitiveness Project)

2012 328 pp Hardback 978 0 85793 828 2

ebook isbn 978 0 85793 8299

European Cities And Global Competitiveness.gif

Description
‘This book addresses an interesting and contemporary topic and the editors haveselected a good mix of approaches to the problem’.
– Giorgio Fazio, Journal of Regional Science

Europe is in a troubled state. The macroeconomic situation is in dire straits,national governments are close to being dysfunctional, and Europeans are facingausterity and relative decline. The one bright spot on this horizon is thepotential for positive action at the level of the city or of urban regions. Inthis book, the authors have assembled a collection of original contributions byscholars from Europe, North America and Asia who have insights as to how localauthorities in Europe might be able to chart a course for their city or urbanregion, in this period of extraordinary difficulty.

Contents
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

Europe is in a troubled state. The macroeconomicsituation looks grim, national governments are close to dysfunction, andEuropeans are facing austerity and relative decline. The one bright spot on thehorizon is the potential for positive action at the level of the city and urbanregions. In this book, the editors have assembled a collection of originalcontributions by scholars from Europe, North America and Asia who offerinsights as to how local authorities in Europe might be able to chart a coursefor their city or urban region during this period of extraordinary difficulty.

The volume begins with an Introduction, followedby a set of three papers in Part Two examining European urban competitivenessfrom the standpoints of measurement and policy. This section also provides acase study of the cities of one country – Italy – from which the reader cangain an understanding of the current position of European cities as well aswhat might be possible going forward. Experience has shown that perhaps themost crucial element in competitiveness enhancement is good and effectivegovernance. To that end, Part Three examines structural aspects of urban government,including polycentric regions, wide metropolitan cooperation, the role ofsocial actors and territorial aggregation. Part Four treats issues ofinnovation from two perspectives and provides a case study from Eindhoven,while also covering social issues such as demographics, participation, socialexclusion and mobility.

This set of scholarly reflections will be ofconsiderable benefit to urban practitioners, researchers and students of publicpolicy.

Contents:

PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction
Daniele Ietri and Peter Karl Kresl

PART II: COMPETITIVENESS
2. The Prospect for European Urban Economies
Peter Karl Kresl

3. Italian Cities and Global UrbanCompetitiveness
Pengfei Ni

4. Urban Competitiveness in Italy: ABenchmarking and Benchlearning Approach to Support Local Government Decisions
Stefano Mollica and Giovanna Hirsch

PART III: GOVERNANCE
5. Competition and Collaboration in Creating aWorld City from Polycentricity in Central Scotland
William F. Lever

6. Metropolitan Structures of Decision Making,Governance and Policy Coordination: The Role of Social Actors in Montreal
Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay and Juan-Luis Klein

7. Strategic Resilience and GlobalCompetitiveness: Regional Cooperation in the New York City Metropolitan Area
David J. Maurrasse

8. The Metropolitan Area of Venice in theChanging Economy of the North East
Stefano Micelli

9. Urban Development and Competitiveness in HongKong: Opportunities and Challenges of a Changing Relation with Mainland China
Jianfa Shen

PART IV: INNOVATIVE POLICY MAKING
10. Brainport Eindhoven: A Proactive ApproachTowards Innovation and Sustainability
Leo van den Berg and Alexander H.J. Otgaar

11. On the Possible Government of the City
Carlo Donolo

12. Competitiveness, Sustainability and UrbanEnergy Use: Some Lessons for Europe from the Mexican Experience
Jaime Sobrino

13. The Urban Response to a Need for Change: TheCase of Milan
Eleonora Mastropietro

14. Organizing Mobility as an Infrastructure forDevelopment
Riccardo Mercurio, Paolo Canonico and MarioPezzillo Iacono

15. An Aging Population as a Benefit to ItalianCities
Daniele Ietri

16. The Future of Europe’s Smaller Cities andTowns
Peter Karl Kresl

Index