The politics of urban growth and decline

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the literature and arguments that have emerged over the last two decades about the politics of urban policy in Europe and North America. We consider the debates about the emergence of a stronger economic dimension to urban policy and what this means for social cohesion and democracy. We also discuss the significance of policy decentralization and the consequences for different kinds of places and people. We argue that local political processes matter to the social and economic trajectories of cities and that decentralization can be a positive force for prosperity and participation, although it can also be subverted for narrower political purposes and exacerbate inequalities. The structure of the chapter is as follows. The next section considers the economic sources and impacts of recent urban growth. Section two discusses the political processes that contribute to urban success. The third section contrasts different political theories of urban policy. Section four compares different perspectives on developments in Europe and North America. The fifth section examines who benefits from urban policy. The conclusion draws the threads together and outlines some directions for future research.