Revitalizing American Cities

摘要

This is a very timely contribution to the urban literature. Over the last two decades it has been the largest 'world cities' that have been grabbing all the headlines, not least London with 'agglomeration economies' causing it to surge ahead of its UK competitors. In recent years, however, the tide has been turning, with both academic and policy attention shifting towards the medium-sized and smaller cities. In England the second-tier cities have, as the 'Core Cities Group', been lobbying central government for more resources and delegated powers. New research programmes are examining 'shrinking cities' and city decline and looking for signs of resurgence among those places that have been hardest hit by the contraction of mining and manufacturing and been largely bypassed by the new growth sectors. And not just in the UK, but across Europe (especially in the former Communist bloc) and also America.