Large-scale restructuring, inter-urban system change, and urban policy responses: The case of Western Europe

During the recent past, the economic fortunes of cities across Western Europe have been profoundly influenced by international processes of economic and political change. These changes have included large-scale restructuring such as deindustrialization and increased European integration. While these changes have benefited some cities, others have experienced a dramatic decline in prosperity. Governments at all levels have responded by adopting policies to improve urban well-being and enhance the competitiveness of their cities in their efforts to attract investment.;This analysis examined how economic growth and change differed for cities across Western Europe between the early 1980s and the early 1990s, and endeavored to identify why economic performance varied between cities. With respect to the causes of performance differentials, particular attention was given to the use and effectiveness of economic development efforts intended to improve urban performance and prosperity. This research combined a more extensive analysis of recent economic trends for the Western European inter-urban system, with comparative case studies of particular cities chosen to highlight the use and effectiveness of public policy.;The inter-urban analysis identified that disparities in prosperity between the weakest and strongest urban economies increased. The spatial pattern of development changed with the strong economic core of cities shifting to the southeast to southern Germany and northern Italy, while the spatial extent of the economically-weak periphery increased. Between the core and periphery was a mosaic pattern of intermingled weaker and stronger urban economies experiencing uneven temporal and spatial industrial restructuring. Certain site and situational characteristics were important for urban economic growth including relative location, the strength of each national economy, the presence of corporation headquarters, and the number of international congresses.;The comparative case study analysis was undertaken in northeastern England in three metropolitan regions and their major urban centers in Tyneside, Teesside, and Humberside. These local governments shared remarkable similarities in their economic development goals, policies, and even strategies and instruments. The assessment of the effectiveness of the economic development efforts as measured by public spending, however, identified, that higher levels of spending did not necessarily translate into improved economic performance for these problem cities.