Urban Competitiveness: Theory and Practice

by Peter Kresl, Daniele Ietri

Overview

During the past 25 years the burden of managing economic policy for competitiveness has devolved to cities and to urban regions. National governments have increasingly been focused on staving off fiscal collapse. Mayors and local administrations have become very creative and active in looking after the state of their local economy and have developed extensive agencies for inter-city cooperation and action. This book explores this evolving role of cities and urban regions.

Intelligent and rational policy must be based on an accurate understanding of the situation at hand and of the economic theory that can be utilized in the assessment of the most effective means that can be deployed. This book examines the theoretical contributions of economists and geographers and through the analyses of the performance of various cities will give the reader an understanding of the logic behind rational policy formation. Evaluation of a city’s relative competitiveness is a controversial matter and this book provides a full treatment of the various approaches. Finally, it examines the experiences with competitiveness of several cities in North America and in Europe.

Urban Competitiveness: Theory and Practice confirms that many cities in trying times do have a mechanism for enhancing their competitiveness and can work to create the sort of economic life the city’s residents want.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138364004
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/14/2018
Series:	Regions and Cities
Pages:	158
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Peter Kresl is Charles P. Vaughan Professor of Economics Emeritus, Bucknell University, USA.

Daniele Ietri is assistant professor of Geography at eCampus University, Italy, and senior consultant at hep-business e persone, Milan, Italy.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issue of Urban Competitiveness 2. Challenges to Cities in the Foreseeable Future 3. The Analysis of Urban Competitiveness 4. The City in its Context 5. Economic Analysis of the Options for the City 6. Case Studies of Successful and Unsuccessful Competitiveness Enhancement 7. The Competitiveness of US Cities 8. The Competitiveness of Northern EU Cities 9. The Competitiveness of Mediterranean EU Cities 10. Summary and Conclusions

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a worthwhile addition to the urban competitiveness literature given one of the authors’ long-standing contributions. It provides important insights into facets of urban economics for scholars of urban studies."

Swasti Vardhan Mishra, Visva-Bharati, India, Urban Studies Journal

From the Publisher