Second-rank cities are back on the academic scene, capturing the interest of scholars with their unexpected recent performance with respect to first-rank cities. Looking at the data on average urban GDP growth in 139 European cities since 1996, the relatively strong position of large cities (over 1.5 million inhabitants) on national growth coincides with the periods of fastest expansion, while at times of slowdown second-rank cities prevail. Especially in the recent period of economic downturn, second-rank cities have recorded annual GDP growth rates much less negative than those of capital cities; and in some European countries, like Austria and Germany, all cities have outperformed their capitals. In explaining this phenomenon, linking urban dynamics to agglomeration theories seems the most interesting approach. However, merely to link agglomeration economies to urban size in order to interpret urban performance is neither convincing nor sufficient, and it calls for additional investigation into how agglomeration economies work. This volume claims that interpretation of the current dynamics in European urban systems – especially in the western part of Europe – would benefit from exploitation of the traditional concept of agglomeration economies. However, necessary for this purpose are more in-depth considerations on the nature, scope, intensity, and causes of agglomeration economies which do not relate their existence solely to urban size. And this is where the main challenge for scholars lies, in the interpretation of the missing link between agglomeration economies and urban dynamics. This book was originally published as a special issue of European Planning Studies.

By the end of this century, 9 out of 10 Europeans will live in an urban area. But what kind of city will they call home? You'll find all the answers in CITY, TRANSFORMED, the new essay series from the European Investment Bank. This panoramic first essay in the series lays out a great sweeping history of European cities over the last fifty years—and showcases new directions being taken by some of our most innovative cities. Urban experts Greg Clark, Tim Moonen, and Jake Nunley based at University College London take a definitive look at how Europe's cities transformed from post-industrial decline to thriving metropolises that are as prosperous and liveable as anywhere on Earth.

In recent years, the conservation of neighborhoods in American cities has risen to a high priority on the national agenda. The policy of demolishing whole neighborhoods in the inner city, whether to replace them with luxury apartments or massive public housing projects, has been largely abandoned, and the return of the middle class, seeking housing bargains in the neighborhoods they fled years ago, has hastened the process. Europe has much to teach the United States about urban conservation: it was a pressing public concern there when in this country conservation was mainly a matter of protecting wildlife and wilderness areas. The twenty-two essays in this volume—while discussing the conservation experiences of major European cities that are of considerable interest in their own right—present a preview of some of the struggles and solutions that are emerging on this side of the Atlantic as the conservation movement grows and extends into more and more urban districts. "Urban pioneering" and "gentrification" are becoming increasingly common in this country as the middle class seeks—in the face of energy shortages and slower growth, especially in housing—to reclaim the core cities that so many had once abandoned for suburbia. The first part of the book is concerned with the conflicts and struggles that have occurred over urban redevelopment in such cities as Venice, Brussels and Bath. The essays in the second part of the book describe a number of conservation efforts and strategies in cities such as Bologna, Stockholm and London which have attempted integration of social and physical conservation. The emphasis throughout is on conservation in specific neighborhoods—some historic districts, others humble working-class residential areas, a few both at once—rather than on conservation at the metropolitan scale. The separate essays range over such diverse topics as the impact of large-scale development projects on the existing city, the conservation of city centers and historic neighborhoods, the protection of monuments, the eviction of low-income migrants, examples of gentrification, amenity and conservation legislation, participatory action groups, social conservation strategies, and the education of children in urban conservation. The editor, in his extensive introduction, brings all these themes together setting them in the postwar history of European planning, and discussing issues such as the effects of tourism on old cities, the current crisis for modern architecture and planning, conflicting views and styles of conservation, the processes of pioneering and gentrification, and the relevance of this experience to the United States. The illustrated case studies center on the cities of London, Bolton, Bath, Elsinore, Stockholm, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Brussels, Grenoble, Bologna, Rome, Venice, Split, Athens, and Istanbul.

This book explores the multiplicity of green space developments in the modern city and the many influences shaping their evolution. Focusing on four northern European metropoles: London, Stockholm, Helsinki and St Petersburg, it examines how each has resp

'A superb book and a must-read for any City fan.' - DANIEL TAYLOR, senior writer, The Athletic 'A thorough and delicious retelling of perhaps not the most successful of European journeys, but definitely the most interesting ... Fantastic.' - DAVID MOONEY, BBC Radio 5 Live 'A book that brilliantly explodes the myth that City have no history or pedigree in Europe.' - SIMON MULLOCK, chief football writer, Sunday Mirror THE ESSENTIAL NEW HISTORY OF MANCHESTER CITY'S EUROPEAN TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES FEATURING A FOREWORD BY CITY LEGEND FRANCIS LEE As one of the first English sides to taste glory in Europe, lifting the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, City looked set for life among the continent's elite. But as their domestic fortunes went from bad to worse to absolute calamity, the wilderness returned. Avid City fan and respected journalist Simon Curtis dusts off the details of some truly intoxicating away days. Filled with tales of the club's travelling support and the evocative accounts of the journalists who saw the team of the Seventies, Curtis tells the story of a club steeped in history, defiantly refusing to bow to pomp and ceremony as it goes about lifting the ultimate prize. After a spectacular rebuild and having achieved all there is to achieve on the domestic stage, including a record-breaking 100-point season in 2017-18, City's deep-pocketed owners have their sights firmly set on European glory once more. Yet for all their recent success at home, they are anything but welcome guests at Europe's top table.

Green space has become a major issue in European cities in recent years as a result of enhanced environmental awareness, urban marketing, planning policy and growing population densities. Up to now, however, the subject of sports areas and grounds has attracted little research, despite the fact that since the First World War such public and private areas – from football pitches and running tracks to golf courses and tennis courts – have often comprised one of the most important and extensive types of green space in the European city. This book presents a pioneering comparative and multidisciplinary analysis of the development, use and impact of sports areas in the European city from the start of the 20th century up to the present time. Employing a range of historical, spatial and ecological approaches it examines when and why sports areas evolved, the contribution of municipalities and the private sector, the role of gender and class, and the impact on the urban landscape and ecology. Chapters cover urban sports areas in Finland, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, illustrating the contrasts in the provision of green space across Europe.

Across Western Europe, the emphasis has shifted from physical manufacturing to the development of ideas, new products and creative processes. This has become known as the knowledge economy. While much has been written about this concept, so far there has been little focus on the role of the city. Bringing together comparative case studies from Amsterdam, Dortmund, Eindhoven, Helsinki, Manchester, Munich, Münster, Rotterdam and Zaragoza, this volume examines the cities' roles, as well as how the knowledge economy affects urban management and policies. In doing so, it demonstrates that the knowledge economy is a trend that affects every city, but in different ways depending on the specific local situation. It describes a number of policy options that can be applied to improve cities' positions in this new environment.