Urban Future: Global Pressures and Local Forces

THE PROFOUND CHANGES evident in cities in response to the globalizing economy are the subject of multi-disciplinary and multi-regional analysis in this book. In this collection of 17 papers, covering issues such as developments since Habitat I, the first UN Conference on Human Settlements in 1976, culture and identity, technological change, governance, city policies and urban research, the chapters are united in their exploration of local responses to global challenges. The aim of the book was to compile an agenda for cities in the future and it was prepared for Habitat II, the second UN Conference on Human Settlements, held in June 1996. The introductory chapter draws together the main themes of the book within the framework of globalization and the future city, and the remaining papers are divided into six sections.

Part I contains papers on urban convergence and new paradigms. One paper argues that cities of the North and South are becoming increasingly similar in characteristics such as unemployment, declining infrastructure and environment, and institutional weakness. Another assesses changes in perceptions of urban problems, whilst the concluding paper in this section explores the new neo-liberal formulae for urban policy.

Part II develops the theme of local responses to global change. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is shown that cities are not effectively participating in the global system. Another paper emphasizes that historical and cultural differences ensure that cities around the world are not just becoming alike. The enhancing of inter-city connections by global financial and production networks are the topic of Chapter 7, with success argued to depend upon local factors.

Economic and social dilemmas are the concern of Part III, with the first paper discussing the relationship between urbanization, economic development and demographic transition. The following contribution argues that the negative effects of new technologies should not be ignored, and calls for the establishment of new institutions for their management. Finally, the section concludes with a discussion of links between health and wealth inequalities.

The fourth part of the book deals with the theme of urban governance. First, the complexity of the urban landscape is shown to complicate urban management but promote local autonomy. The city of Barcelona is the topic of the next paper, emphasizing the opportunities globalization has brought for improved urban governance. The conflicts provoked by urban sustainability are discussed in Chapter 13, with sustainability argued to depend upon the reaching of compromise between the Green and Brown Agendas. The urban landscape is the topic of Part V. Spatial trends in cities over the last quarter century are discussed in one paper and the other paper in the section gives the example of cities in the United States to argue that urban spatial development depends more upon the action of millions of individuals than of planners.

The final section of the book concerns urban research. Chapter 16 traces paradigm shifts, and the author argues that the case study method in research should form the basis for a new paradigm, establishing the correct balance between the unique and the general. The final paper in the book summarizes the evolution of urban studies over recent decades and argues for a holistic, inter-disciplinary approach to the study of cities.