This volume examines wide-ranging issues confronting cites, and reviews tools, strategies and practices to address them. It examines nine 'windows' of urban management in the context of the new urban strategy of the World Bank. The book recognizes that cities are crucial in efforts to address poverty and development issues. It combines theoretical discussions of new, fundamental principles of urban management with practical discussions that show how concepts are translated into policy tools and strategies. Chapter 1 discusses the forces of globalization and how these affect cities in general...

Within the framework of increasing decentralization, the need for local governments to access financial markets is growing. As urbanization expands, local authorities need to provide more services with fewer resources from the central government. Subnational borrowing, leveraging reliable cash flows and prudent fiscal management, can be alternatives to fund such investments, especially when the useful life of the service is long and an adequate legal framework is in place to ensure fiscal and financial stability. This book, prepared by staff members of the World Bank and selected guest...

'Connecting Cities with Macro-economic Concerns' examines the influence of local public services on the economics of cities. The relationship between economic development and urbanization is indisputable; less clear, however, are the ways in which cities directly contribute to economic growth and employment creation. Current economic thinking holds that the ability of cities to create wealth depends on 'agglomeration economies.' This refers to the geographic concentration of industries and people which enables economic actors to come together, interact, and become productive. However, this...