'This Report – 2011 gives an overwhelming amount of comprehensive information for city managers trying to cope with the ever-increasing competition between cities in attracting investments, talent, firms, knowledge, events etc. Apart from an update of the ranking of 500 cities this new publication offers a lot of additional information, such as a selection of the best examples of competitive cities. The book is recommended for everybody interested in the strengths and weaknesses of the major cities in the world.' – Leo van den Berg, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands 'Ni Pengfei's GUCRs are distinctive for their methodology and the comprehensiveness of coverage. In this edition Ni offers us three new insights. In three chapters he analyses aspects of the competitiveness of five functional categories of cities as centers, such as finance, technology, politics, manufacturing and port/logistics. The determinants of the elements in his Global Urban Competitiveness Report, give us an indication of the importance of each of the elements. The Report also provides eleven examples of best city practices. A must-read book.' – Peter Karl Kresl, Bucknell University, US The Global Urban Competitiveness Report – 2011 is an empirical study of the competitiveness of 500 cities around the world. This one-of-a-kind annual resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed. Using a sophisticated methodology and a team of 100 researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the book not only ranks these cities but also presents a treasury of information with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of each city in relation to each other. The book includes a full discussion of the factors that create urban competitiveness and what sorts or categories of cities are most competitive, and comments on the policies and initiatives that are adopted by the most competitive cities. Scholars and researchers in the areas of urban economics, planning, geography and regional economics will find the information invaluable, as will local authorities, decision-makers and economic planners in cities throughout the world.

By empirically assessing the competitiveness of 505 cities around the world from regional, national and other perspectives, this book not only ranks these cities but also presents a treasure trove of information with regard to each city’s relative strengths and weaknesses. This unique resource draws on a wealth of data sources, all of which are described and assessed, and involve urban economics, geography, regional economics and many other fields. Using a concise indexing system, sophisticated methodology, and extensive figures and tables, it provides a comprehensive analysis of global urban competitiveness in 2015. Given the scope of its coverage, the book will be of great interest to readers such as local authorities, decision-makers and economic planners in cities throughout the world.

Europe is in a troubled state. The macroeconomic situation looks grim, national governments are close to dysfunction, and Europeans are facing austerity and relative decline. The one bright spot on the horizon is the potential for positive action at the level of the city and urban regions. In this book, the editors have assembled a collection of original contributions by scholars from Europe, North America and Asia who offer insights as to how local authorities in Europe might be able to chart a course for their city or urban region during this period of extraordinary difficulty. The volume begins with an Introduction, followed by a set of three papers in Part Two examining European urban competitiveness from the standpoints of measurement and policy. This section also provides a case study of the cities of one country _ Italy _ from which the reader can gain an understanding of the current position of European cities as well as what might be possible going forward. Experience has shown that perhaps the most crucial element in competitiveness enhancement is good and effective governance. To that end, Part Three examines structural aspects of urban government, including polycentric regions, wide metropolitan cooperation, the role of social actors and territorial aggregation. Part Four treats issues of innovation from two perspectives and provides a case study from Eindhoven, while also covering social issues such as demographics, participation, social exclusion and mobility. This set of scholarly reflections will be of considerable benefit to urban practitioners, researchers and students of public policy.

This report was jointly launched by the National Academy of Economic Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and UN-HABITAT. Using the indicator system and objective data, the competitiveness of 1,035 global cities was evaluated in detail. The report measures the development pattern of global urban competitiveness as a whole, and the gap between the relevant parties and the ideal state. It has refreshed people's past perceptions of urban rankings and confirmed that the science and technology innovation center cities and central cities of emerging economies have begun to break the inherent global cities and they have entered the ranks of the most urban competitiveness.While paying attention to the comparison of competitiveness among cities, this report further promotes the perspective to the pattern and trend change of global economic and social development from the perspective of city. The followings are new findings: First, information technology has increasingly become the primary driving force for urban development; Second, it is the three meridians that divide the global urban population and economic differentiation; Third, the soft links between cities gradually dominate the global urban system; Fourth, the formation of new global cities is beginning.

The past few decades have seen universities take on a leading role in urban development, actively providing public services beyond teaching and research. The relationship between the university and the city has great influence on the space of university, which is vividly reflected in the process of university spatial development. This process has been particularly evident in China as Chinese universities and cities have been undergoing dramatic transformations since reform in the late 1970s. University Spatial Development and Urban Transformation in China explores the changing relationship between the university and the city from a spatial perspective. Based on theories and discourses on the production of space, the book analyzes case studies in university spatial development in China at three scales – global, national and local – covering social and urban contexts, the urban transformation, interactions in the development process and the changing dynamic between university and city to propose mutually beneficial planning strategies. This book is a valuable resource for academics, researchers and urban planners in identifying the key factors and relationships in university spatial development using theoretical and empirical data to guide future urban planning.

The contributors illustrate what twin analytical and practical challenges emerge from juxtaposing cultural, economic, historical, postcolonial, virtual, architectural, literary, security and political stances to the concept of the 'global city'.