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1. Introduction: How to bring the silos together -- 2. Specification of the geographies that divide us -- 3. "deaths of despair" -- 4. Schooling -- 5. The economy -- 6. Infrastructure -- 7. Environment -- 8. Urban and rural area developments -- 9. What is achievable? -- Index.

Contents: 1. Introduction: The importance of the quality of urban life -- 2. Contemporary analysis of quality of life -- 3. Quality of life and competitiveness -- 4. Quality of life and the economy -- 5. Demographics and quality of life -- 6. Urban attributes and quality of life -- 7. Urban amenities and quality of life -- 8. Looking forward -- Index.

"Plenty has been written on the competitiveness of megacities, capital cities and regional hubs. Cities in developing countries have not yet received the same attention - this book fills that gap. An international team of expert academics have come together to present a comprehensive study of the competitiveness of cities in the developing world. Spanning Asia, Africa and Latin America, this book homes in on specific city cases and examines how they relate to the rest of the global economy. The focus is on acknowledging their unique contexts, while drawing out commonalities, and ultimately identifying ways for them to enhance their competitiveness, well-being and sustainability. This volume will be valuable reading to advanced students, researchers and policymakers in urban and regional studies, economic geography and economic development."

This original book examines the experiences cities and urban areas have had with two principal concerns that confront them today: sustainability and competitiveness. Featuring a wide-ranging set of contributions from top researchers, this book discusses and analyzes the issues that different cities face, such as social cohesion, tolerance and cultural diversity, and how this will determine their developmental trajectories through the coming decade. Towards a Competitive, Sustainable Modern City will be an invaluable read for scholars and professors in urban economics and urban studies more broadly, particularly those who are focusing on the importance of sustainability in both areas.

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.

The global economy has transformed during the last few decades. Though the changes have benefited some, many mature industrial economies (MIEs) have not been treated well by the changes they have seen and have been forced to adapt to dramatically changed circumstances. In this collection of original papers, economists and geographers from Asia, North America and Europe examine the policy initiatives that have succeeded in their countries. The analyses address issues such as local, state and federal governance, aging populations, inter-city cooperation and loss of dominant firms. Additionally, the authors discuss policy issues such as industrial tourism, the roles of education, knowledge and culture, and repositioning a region's place in the global economy. The volume also includes an empirical estimation of the competitiveness of major cities. The contributors to this book hold that it is possible for the overwhelming majority of MIEs to shape their policy in such a way that many of the objectives that will yield the most prosperity will fall within their reach. In that spirit, this book offers the elements for generating economic strategies for mature industrial economies.

Political discourse in many countries is significantly impacted by the existence of populations that live in urban centers and other populations that live in rural or peripheral places. Due to factors such as population density, economic activity, proximity to schools, retail and health facilities, attachment to religion, and access to diverse political opinions, people living in the peripheral areas tend to be relatively conservative and those in urban areas are relatively liberal. Thus we have two elements of the population that tend to live in silos, having little dialogue or even contact with the other. This results in a national political dialogue that is not at all productive or capable of generating policies that would benefit the population. In many countries of Europe and the Americas, the politically left and right parties or movements are, figuratively speaking, at war with each other. In spite of this, an examination of the reality of many areas of public policy reveals that there are, in fact, many areas of public policy that are of benefit to both urban and periphery dwellers such as, education, access to health care, management of water and waterways, funding of small businesses and banks and local governments, and infrastructure. I have recently compiled a set of 40 such policies that could be adopted because they are of direct benefit to dwellers in both silos (Kresl, 2021). Recognition of this mutual benefit could advance the discussion of public policy and even lead to implementation of some of these policies. Those living on the periphery and in the inner city could engage in a dialogue that would be of benefit to both of these groups, and peripherality would no longer be identified with exclusion from a beneficial political discourse.