Stephen Graham Ed., Cities, War, and Terrorism

Cities, War, and Terrorism, edited by Stephen Graham is a compendium of essays on the intersection of urbanity and violent conflict.  In an era where urban areas have become prime targets for political and religious violence this volume is both relevant and timely. It is also heavily ideological and unforgivably one sided. The volume is premised on the existence of a conspiracy by “neo imperial” nations (led by the United States) to destroy and subjugate under-developed nations.  The “evidenc..

Globalisation et changement d’échelle dans le gouvernement urbain

This article explores the relationship between globalization and urban rescaling. It suggests that forces emanating from globalization (neo liberal politics, increased competition, economic restructuring and suburbanization) have created new pressures on cities. One of the more effective responses cities can take is to re-scale their territories. Territorial re-scaling is defined as the remaking or the reconfiguration of land in order to exercise decisional and policy control. Re-scaling serves to restructure governance and ultimately power along particular geographical lines. This kind of territorial manipulation is a tool which can allocate power, include or exclude different actors, shape priorities and shrink or expand policy nets. Five types of re-scaling are specified as 1) consolidated jurisdictions 2) multi-tiered jurisdictions 3) linked jurisdictions 4) urban communities and 5) jumped scales. Each of these types is reviewed, explained and examples furnished. Also furnished is empirical evidence on the effects of different types of re-scaling with respect to their efficiency, democratic accountability and economic development. Each re-scaling has its advantages and disadvantages and no type is seen as necessarily “better” or “worse” than another. Much depends on the values being sought and the circumstances facing a city. Finally, there are no guarantees that a particular outcome will be attained, though skillful use of re-scaling can bolster a city’s position as it faces the challenges of globalization

Globalisation et changement d’échelle dans le gouvernement urbain

Cet article analyse les relations entre la mondialisation et le changement d’échelle urbaine. Il considère que les dynamiques à l’œuvre dans le processus de mondialisation (politiques néo-libérales, compétition territoriale, suburbanisation) conduisent à de nouvelles contraintes pesant sur les villes. Une des réponses les plus pertinentes que les villes peuvent générer repose sur le changement d’échelle de leurs institutions en bâtissant de nouvelles structures ou en les restructurant pour renforcer leur capacité d’action. Ce processus conduit à reconfigurer les modes de gouvernance et donc le pouvoir urbain sur de nouvelles bases géographiques. Ce type de manipulation territoriale est un instrument qui agit sur l’allocation des ressources entre acteurs, en inclus certains, en exclue d’autres, établit de nouvelles priorités sur l’agenda politique. Cinq types de dynamiques institutionnelles sont présentées et analysées à partir de cas concrets: 1) les villes fusionnées 2) le gouvernement à plusieurs niveaux 3) la coopération partagée 4) les communautés urbaines et 5) les villes non contiguës. Une première évaluation est menée en tentant de mettre jour l’efficacité, le contrôle démocratique et la capacité à générer du développement économique respectifs de ces cinq modèles qui présentent tous des avantages et des inconvénients. Le recours à l’un ou l’autre de ces modèles s’explique essentiellement par les valeurs auxquels il renvoie et par des contingences politiques et économiques. Ils ne garantissent pas non plus un type particulier d’effet même si un changement d’échelle bien maîtrisé peut renforcer la position d’une ville face à la mondialisation.This article explores the relationship between globalization and urban rescaling. It suggests that forces emanating from globalization (neo liberal politics, increased competition, economic restructuring and suburbanization) have created new pressures on cities. One of the more effective responses cities can take is to re-scale their territories. Territorial re-scaling is defined as the remaking or the reconfiguration of land in order to exercise decisional and policy control. Re-scaling serves to restructure governance and ultimately power along particular geographical lines. This kind of territorial manipulation is a tool which can allocate power, include or exclude different actors, shape priorities and shrink or expand policy nets. Five types of re-scaling are specified as 1) consolidated jurisdictions 2) multi-tiered jurisdictions 3) linked jurisdictions 4) urban communities and 5) jumped scales. Each of these types is reviewed, explained and examples furnished. Also furnished is empirical evidence on the effects of different types of re-scaling with respect to their efficiency, democratic accountability and economic development. Each re-scaling has its advantages and disadvantages and no type is seen as necessarily “better” or “worse” than another. Much depends on the values being sought and the circumstances facing a city. Finally, there are no guarantees that a particular outcome will be attained, though skillful use of re-scaling can bolster a city’s position as it faces the challenges of globalization

Post-industrial Cities Politics And Planning In New York, Paris, And London

p.xvii,368; ill., index, 24 c

The Politics of City Regions in Comparative Perspective

An age of the urban regionalism has arrived. Postindustrial capitalism is evolving in ways that give renewed importance to city regions. New forms of economic interdependence, the rise of specialized flexible production, the spread of new technologies, and other factors are making the city region a prominent node in today’s globalized economy. Although governments at all levels have been responding to manage this reality, political intervention remains a contentious matter because regional economic development has unleashed new political tensions over governance. Some tensions arise from economic obstacles to regional political cooperation. Other tensions arise from the urban political process in city regions. Many political interests, including entire governments, oppose political collaboration necessary for regional governance because it threatens them with loss of power, status or wealth. The political forces favoring resistance at the local and metropolitan levels tend to differ in the North American and Western European contexts, however.<br>L’âge du «régionalisme urbain» est arrivé. Le capitalisme postindustriel se développe avec des modalités qui accordent une nouvelle importance aux villes-régions. De nouvelles formes d’interdépendance économique, l’émergence d’une production spécialisée flexible, la diffusion des nouvelles technologies, et d’autres facteurs font des villes-régions un nœud prédominant dans l’économie globalisée d’aujourd’hui. Bien que les gouvernements de tous niveaux aient fourni des réponses pour gérer cette réalité, l’intervention politique demeure un objet de conflit parce que le développement économique régional a libéré de nouvelles tensions politiques. Certaines tensions naissent des obstacles économiques à une coopération politique de niveau métropolitain. D’autres proviennent de l’intérieur même du processus politique des villes. De nombreux intérêts politiques, y compris ceux des gouvernements, s’opposent à une collaboration jugée nécessaire au niveau des villes-régions parce que cette collaboration met en danger ceux qui ont peur d’y perdre du pouvoir, un statut ou des ressources. Les forces politiques qui font de la résistance aux niveaux local et métropolitain diffèrent cependant en Amérique du Nord et en Europe de l’Ouest