Cities and Partnerships for Sustainable Urban Development - Hardcover

`As recently as 1960, the world was only one-third urbanized. Today it is 54% urbanized and by mid-century should be almost two-thirds urbanized. This edited volume featuring authors from around the globe offers valuable insights concerning urbanization, sustainability, and collaborative problem-solving. The book is a must read for academics and practitioners alike.' -- Earl H. Fry, Brigham Young University, US `The reader of this 16 chapter volume will find substantive discussions of the history, theory, methodology and practice of local and regional development, and according to the author, from a world, national, regional and local perspective. They will find elements of demand pull, science push, government procurement, localization and community development theories relevant to urban and regional sustainable development. Different chapters deal with cities in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, and insights are given of the problems and potential for growth and sustainability of 15 cities. A relevant volume for those wishing to take stock of current knowledge and of items for a future research agenda.' -- Pierre-Paul Proulx, University of Montreal, Canada

Over the past two decades, sustainability has become a principal concern for city administrators. It is more than just an environmental issue entailing economic, demographic, governance, social, and amenity aspects. After a short introduction to some theory, this book provides broad coverage of these aspects and their manifestations in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. The contributors discuss, in detail, topics surrounding measurement, growth strategy, citizen participation, revitalization, and competitiveness. Though each of the cities discussed - ranging from Shanghai, to Barcelona, to Montreal - are distinct, there are similarities that connect them all. The book highlights their common elements to provide a feasible outcome for sustainable urban development. City administrators, academics and other researchers and consultants will find both the theory and principles discussed in this book of great interest. The individual contributions will be useful for students at all levels pursuing urban economics, environmental studies, planning and public policy.