Since the beginning of the 1990s, regions and urban areas have become a primary target of EU Cohesion Policy. For a number of European cities, especially in the less developed regions, this has resulted in a unique opportunity for the implementation of extensive development projects, as well as delivering innovations in urban policy and local governance. Through the detailed observation of planning processes which took place in four European cities – Porto (PT), Malaga (ES), Palermo (IT), and Thessaloniki (EL) – this book explores the different ways that EU intervention can affect the policy process locally, from the regeneration of decayed neighbourhoods and the creation of key services for improving the quality of life, to the establishment of new governance relations and increasing the institutional capacity in local government. The book also provides a critical reflection on the impact of EU urban policy in reducing regional disparities and the extent to which Cohesion Policy has helped cities to open new pathways for local development. With a special focus on the EU’s marginal regions, this book is a guide to understanding how EU policy has affected urban change and local development across Europe. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Urban Research & Practice.

Governance of Europe's City Regions considers the changing role of the European Union in regional issues, explores how national governments have become increasingly involved at the regional scale and examines the constitutional and political contexts in which regional and local governments operate. Detailed case studies of regionals in Germany and England illustrate contrasts in European approaches to the scale of government, and the complex interactions of international, national, regional and local scales of policy intervention. The book offers a unique perspective, which links together an analysis of both regional Europe and the local economic and political factors that shape successful regions.

This monograph analyses the role of border cities in promoting territorial development processes in border regions across the world. It not only embraces the scientific fields of regional and urban studies but also addresses territorial (urban, local, regional) development and planning theories, as well as the effects of development policies applied to border regions in both Europe and North America. In essence, the book offers a full toolkit of border regions' territorial development knowledge and, in particular, advances a range of policy development proposals. It provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary thinking about how border cities can play a decisive role in boosting territorial development processes in border regions. The book is divided into three parts. Part I presents a theoretical framework on the role of border cities in promoting territorial development and planning in border regions. Part II debates current mainstream policies focusing on supporting border regions and specifically border cities in the EU, the UK, and North America. Finally, Part III presents a wealth of updated knowledge, based on the analysis of several concrete case studies: border cities from both Europe (north, south, east and west) and North America (Canada, the United States, and Mexico). The chapters are written by some of the most renowned authors on the subject, including scholars from several European and North American countries, as well as the secretary generals of three European border regions associations (AEBR, MOT, and CESCI). The book will thoroughly prepare students and provide knowledge to academics and policymakers in the fields of urban and regional planning and development studies, human geography, economic development, EU policies, border regions, and policy impacts.

Cities of Europe is a unique combination of book and CD-ROM examining the effects of recent socio-economic transformations on western European cities. A unique combination of book and CD-ROM examining the effects of recent socio-economic transformations on western European cities. Focuses on the interplay between segregation, social exclusion and governance issues in these cities. Takes a comparative approach by highlighting the specifics of European cities vis-à-vis other urban contexts and analysing the intra-European differences. The CD-ROM features a series of 2,000 photographs from seventeen cities (Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Berlin, Birmingham, Brussels, Bucharest, Helsinki, London, Milan, Naples, New York, Paris, Rotterdam, Tirana, Turin, and Utrecht). Also features 126 thematic maps, interviews with established scholars, and literature reviews. The book and the CD-ROM are linked through an extensive cross-referencing system.

The term 'edge city' describes the rapid growth of urban centres at the edge of established cities. Widely discussed in the US, very little has been written about European edge cities. This book gives a comparative analysis of examples in Greece, Spain, Paris, Finland and the UK, with a theoretical analysis of edge cities and post-suburban Europe.

This title was first published in 2001. Significant transformations in the spatial organization of European cities have taken place over the past two decades. Social fragmentation, increasingly complex systems of governance, the transformation of relations to public space and the shift of work from the industrial to the communications sectors, have placed increasing importance on a city’s position in terms of the global network. This book brings together an interdisciplinary team of European experts to discuss how these transformations have forced a radical reconsideration of the traditional definitions of the city. Comparing a wide range of European cities, the book highlights the diversity of urban forms and tackles the questions regarding the quality of life in new urban spaces. The result is a comprehensive and incisive examination of the capacity of urban policies to evoke real changes in the city and to regenerate the systems of urban governance.