ISBN
978-1447327530Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressISBN
978-1447327523Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressISBN
978-1447327561Imprint
Policy PressISBN
978-1447327578Imprint
Policy Press
Cities for a Small Continent
This original book builds on the author’s research in Phoenix cities to present a vivid story of Europe’s post-industrial cities pre- and post- financial crisis. Using varied case studies the book explores how policy responses to the economic crisis have played out in different European cities, with their contrasting conditions, history and performance generating contrasting reactions. The book compares changes between Northern and Southern European countries, bigger and smaller cities, over the past ten years. Across the continent social cohesion, community investment and social enterprise have gained momentum as Europe’s crowded, resource-constrained cities face up to environmental and social limits faster than other less densely urban countries, such as the US. The author presents a compelling framework to show that Europe’s cities are creating a new industrial economy to combat environmental and social unravelling.
“Europe's economic future is bound up with the future of its cities. Based on an analysis of how and why some cities have found a new route to success this resulting guide is informative and practical, and will be hugely valuable to others.” Howard Davies, chair Royal Bank of Scotland
"Many of Europe's stories cities have seen more bust than boom for decades, writes urban-sustainability specialist Anne Power. Yet a number have risen reinvented, and in this brilliant analysis, Power shows how." Barbara Kiser, Nature
"The dynamics of cities have determined the welfare of Europe throughout history. Now that our societies are at an ecological and social tipping point, cities must lead the way for the future. Cities for a Small Continent provides many ideas and insights into how they can do just that." Martine Aubry, Mayor of Lille, France
"Anne Power is a tireless enthusiast for cities and a better society. This is a passionate, original and informative book, telling how urban reinvention can create a more radical and sustainable future.” Richard Rogers, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
"This publication offers real hope for something better. We can learn to live together in close proximity, offering communitarian answers to social and economic transitions. What shines through in all the examples is how in a small continent, we can turn necessity into a fairer, more sustainable world. The message is one of hope." David Blunkett
Former leader of Sheffield City Council and former National Government Cabinet Minster, 1997-2006
"Anne Power's book charts a new future towards cleaner, less congested, more productive and attractive cities. It builds on a strong sense of history and a deep understanding of the dynamics of cities. It is a very important contribution." Lord Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics, Grantham Institute on Climate Change
"An essential read, arriving at a time when European cities are on the front lines of addressing some of the continent's most pressing challenges: international migration, demographic transformation, climate change, sluggish economic growth and public safety." Bruce Katz, Centennial Scholar, The Brookings Institution
Anne Power has worked and lived in inner city communities since the 1970s. She studied at Manchester, LSE, and in America. She worked with Martin Luther King’s End Slums campaign. She speaks Spanish, French, Italian and German, teaches and researches at the LSE and is an active participant in European city networks. A member of the Early Action Task Force, she served on the government’s Sustainable Development Commission from 1999-2009.
Foreword ~ Richard Rogers;
Cities in a Crowded Continent;
Divided and United Europe;
Grit and Vision;
Struggle and Strive;
Threats and Opportunities;
Over scale and under scale;
The Power of Social Innovation;
Shoots of growth in US Cities ~ Bruce Katz and Alex Jones;
New Ways Out of the Woods.
