ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author aims to consider the characteristics of successful cities in the fifth wave of capitalist economic development. This involves an assessment of likely successful cities in the coming period, and those who lags behind. Cities are first and foremost economic entities. Successful cities are need to creative milieux, and such creativity must be applied dynamically. Policy towards cities has certainly improved from the 1970s, but this trajectory can be traced back to the mid 1980s when it was known simply as urban regeneration. Much of urban policy across Europe is being directed to renewing or otherwise regenerating older urban districts. Many medieval cities were originally built as defensible spaces, seats of government, or holy places, from as early as the tenth century, patterns of trade across Europe were emerging. Many other cities, especially in Europe, find themselves more reliant on older cultural forms and their attractiveness to tourists.
