Unemployment, social deprivation, poverty, political instability, severe cuts in welfare state budgets, and a widespread feeling of despair have eroded much of the social foundations of Southern European cities. In this book, contributors from Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Italy provide insight into the complex interface among different aspects of this crisis. They show these troubles are not entirely due to budgetary problems but are the result of the conditions of a changing nation-state, cultural diversity, the challenges of urban planning, and a globalized economy