This new book argues that cities and citizens are not helpless victims in a global flow of events. Three crucial questions are addressed through the three part structure: What is the nature of the globalization? What resulting challenges now confront cities and localities? How can local leaders respond to this changing environment in ways which strengthen local democracy? Written by leading urban scholars in Europe and North America the book draws on a range of disciplines to enhance academic understanding and illuminate lessons for policy and practice.

Globalism and Local Democracy; R.Hambleton, H.V.Savitch and M.Stewart PART I: THE GLOBALIZATION PROCESS The Globalization Process; H.V.Savitch Globalization and Cities: A North American Perspective; S.E.Clarke Urban Homogenization and Diversification in West Europe; F.Ascher Globalization and Transformations in Political Cultures; T.N.Clark PART II: CITIES AT RISK-CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY Rapid Transformations in Post-socialist Cities: Towards an Uncertain Future; M.F.Reid Managing Urban Ethnic Conflict; S.Bollens Urban Policies in The Netherlands: From Social Renewal to Big Cities Policy; R.C.Kloosterman & D.Broeders PART III: INNOVATION IN URBAN GOVERNANCE The New City Management; R.Hambleton A Network Paradigm for Urban Governance?; C.Collinge & A.Srbjanin Metropolitan Governance and Institutional Dynamics; B.Jouve & C.Lefèvre Local Democracy, Cross-border Collaboration and the Internationalization of Local Government; A.Church & P.Reid