This timely book is the first to take a close historical look at Ken Livingstone s London. It examines the development of London governance from the demise of the Greater London Council to the establishment of the Greater London Authority. The authors investigate the working of Mayor and Assembly, unravel the underlying politics of London and explore policy debates about transport, crime, and economic development. Finally they pose a question of key importance, not just to Londoners, but also to those interested in urban governance throughout the world: to what extent can the creation of new institutions and instruments of government give a major city the sense of being a political community?

Published in conjunction with TFL, this is a comprehensive guide to the London Underground, combining a historical overview, illustrations and newly commissioned photography.

English regions appeared to have been killed off by the massive 'no' vote in the referendum in the North East on 4 November 2004. By contrast, this book analyzes the many institutions and networks established at the English regional tier since 1997. It argues that a new form of governance is developing in the English regions, characterized by processes rather than specific policy concerns: strategic co-ordination, scrutiny, and civic engagement.

Did You Know? In 1884 the Circle Line opened and was described in The Times as ‘a form of mild torture which no person would undergo if he could conveniently help it.’ According to one psychologist, Tube commuters can experience greater levels of stress than a police officer facing a rioting mob or even a fighter pilot going into a dogfight. Underground trains have only twice been used to transport deceased people in coffins: William Gladstone and Dr Barnardo. Some of the most bizarre items handed in to lost property include 250lb of sultanas, a 14ft canoe, a child’s garden slide, a harpoon gun, a pith helmet, an artificial leg, someone’s brother’s ashes and a sealed box containing three dead bats. WITH well over a billion passengers a year, more than 250 miles of track, literally hundreds of different stations and a history stretching back at least 160 years, the world’s oldest underground railway might seem familiar, but how well do you actually know it? This book offers a feast of Tube-based trivia for travellers and lovers of London alike.

Originally published in 1974 this book examines the problems confronting the London public transport system in the 1970s. After a brief historical introduction the book then pays particular attention to planning, capital investment, co-ordination, the relationship between transport and housing, the competition between road and rail and the grants paid by central government. There are 15 case studies of significant topics ranging from station car parks to bus lanes, new tube trains to facilities for pedestrians. Although the focus is on London, many of the issues are common to other UK cities and across the world.