Between 1999 and 2002 the National Endowment for the Arts's New Public Works program sponsored design competitions in cities across the United States. The forward-thinking designs that emerged have influenced the physical form of major public works projects nationwide. New Public Works presents a history of the program, along with interviews with participants. Special attention is paid to the key role played by private, municipal, and other public funding sources. Case studies of three built projects by Allied Works Architecture, Koning Eizenberg, and Weiss/Manfredi Architecture describe the path of each from competition through construction.

APWA's new "Blue Book," a companion to Public Works Administration: Supervision and Management, focuses on the external environment of public works with such issues as finance, law, and fundamentals of government. It also includes an overview of public works operations and concludes with one of the most important aspects of public works leadership--creating the future. This book includes a look at strategic planning, systems thinking, policy development, and other vital forward-looking techniques. (This book supports APWA Public Works Institute Units 6-11.)