European Cities: Social Conflicts and Governance(European Societies)

European cities are on the rise, and are taking advantage of the opportunities of the European integration and globalization processes. But they also face economic changes, social inequalities, poverty and a new set of constraints. Taking examples through the European Union, European Cities explores the impact of the transformation of the nation states on cities and the change of local societies and local governments. It argues that new modes of urban governance are emerging, and that cities are becoming collective actors within European governance. European Cities shows why and how the bulk of European cities still appear to be original forms of compromise, aggregation, representation of diverse interests, and culture. Different modes of governance are gradually being structured in most middle size European cities despite processes of social exclusion segregation accompanied by the increased mobility of some citizens. Are Europeans going to invent a new form of institutionalized and territorialized capitalism, of which medium-sized European cities will be one of the pillars and one of the actors ? Failing that, the effects of changing scales could be expressed as profound transformations of the European urban model. European Societies Series Series Editor: Colin Crouch Very few of the existing sociological texts which compare different European societies on specific topics are accessible to a broad range of scholars and students. The European Societies series will help fill this gap in the literature, and attempt to answer questions such as: Is there really such a thing as a 'European model' of society? Do the economic and political integration processes of the European Union also imply convergence in more general aspects of social life, like family or religious behaviour? What do the societies of Western Europe have in common with those further to the east? This series will cover the main social institutions, although not every author will cover the full range of European countries. As well as surveying existing knowledge in a way that will be useful to students, each book will also seek to contribute to our growing knowledge of what remains in many respects a sociologically unknown continent.

Table of Contents:
Part I : European cities within European societies Introduction The long history of the European city Part II : A 'historical interlude for European cities'? The loosening grip of the state and the redistribution of authority within the European Union: a new set of parameters to structure modes of urban governance European cities: a more diverse but robust social structure within eroding national societies Social and political actors within European cities and the making or urban modes of governance Cities as incomplete societies: actors and regulations Dynamic mayors and restructured City councils Conclusion

Review :
This book addresses an important but complex topic and draws on an extensive, multilingual literature that ranges over sociology, political science and urban history. It is useful descriptively in understanding trends in western European cities and local governments and is effective in countering extreme claims about economic globalization. Its major success lies in demonstrating how analyses of wider processes can be integrated into analyses of cities and specifically that economic globalization does not mean the end of the city as a significant object of enquiry. Public Administration The work will interest academics, students, policy-researchers and practitioners in the fields of local governance, sociology and European studies. KnowEurope Overall, this book provides a comprehensive account of the often contradictory dynamics which affect cities in Europe and a particularly useful framework for further analysis of European local societies. It represents a well-documented and interesting analysis that can meet the interest of those academics and social scientists who pay attention to the phenomenon of the 're-emergence of territories' and it is highly recommended for graduate students from diverse scientific fields and policymakers operating at various territorial levels. Environment and Planning Patrick Le Gales's excellent book - which focuses on medium-sized cities, the backbone of urban Europe - represents an important contribution to the debate. Environment and Planning ...compared to many other books on the same subject, this one clearly stands out for its combination of a coherent theoretical framework with a non-formalistic and in-depth description of the intricacies of multiscalar politics coming together at city level. Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie