European Cities and Global Competitiveness

Strategies for Improving Performance

Edited by Peter Karl Kresl, Charles P. Vaughn Professor of Economics Emeritus, Bucknell University, US and Daniele Ietri Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy They are members of AISLo (Italian Association for Local Development) and GUCP (Global Urban Competitiveness Project)

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 book addresses an interesting and contemporary topic and the editors have selected a good mix of approaches to the problem’.
– Giorgio Fazio, Journal of Regional Science