Summary

Cities in a Global Society is an impressive collection of essays focused on an important global redefinition. Go Global" is a rapidly emerging theme of the 1990s, and this book is the definitive overview of cities that are doing so." --Michael Marien, Editor, Future Survey "This is one of the most significant public policy books to appear.... In essay after essay, this important volume makes clear a simple idea: That the culture, environment and economy of cities are increasingly influenced by forces well beyond the end of Main Street." --Bulletin of Municipal Foreign Policy As the year 2000 approaches, urbanized areas are entering a new era--one in which they will be shaped primarily by their responses to powerful global forces. The editors and contributors to this fascinating and timely volume believe that cities must begin to assess their roles in a global society and establish their strategic position and comparative advantage in the global marketplace. A wide range of essays by noted international scholars shows how national urban policies tend to be reactive, driven by problems rather than by opportunities, consequently reinforcing the passive nature of cities and their dependency on national initiatives. The diversity of their perspectives, analyses, observations, and insights helps to identify and define critical issues that cities are beginning to address as they become more internationally oriented. After first examining the role of cities in society, the contributors present several perspectives on a city futures management model and review strategies for developing global cities. This stimulating volume offers a wide range of innovative responses to these new challenges and will be useful to professionals and students in urban studies, economics, development studies, anthropology, international relations, future studies, political science, political theory, and sociology.