European Cities in Competition (Hardcover, New edition)

Urban Europe is in the throes of change as the new global economy calls for a thorough restructuring. Manufacturing industries have lost their competitive edge and have been eclipsed by new acitvities in the service sector. The transition has posed a challenge to the cities. They have to adjust their economy to safeguard the welfare of their population. But promoting new activities has caused severe social inequalities to emerge. Entire categories of people are experiencing the hardship of exclusion from the new economy. In fact, the cities face a dilemma - the more vigorously they pursue economic efficiency, the greater their potential for loss of equity. This text argues that, in the long run, this may endanger their very ability to complete the transition. It also states that the cities need to limit the negative side-effects of their continuing development if they are to retain their attractiveness for the new economy and for the people that make it work.