ABSTRACT
One of the key features of the late twentieth and the early twenty-first centuries is the apparent redefinition of the role and place of the “city” within national and global economies. Globalization has been accompanied by changing perceptions of the role of the locality within an increasingly integrated global system, which reflects the dominance of economic orthodoxy, independent action and the search for innovative ways to participate within a redefined global economic context. These trends have gone hand in hand with a notable policy shift around the world, which is enhancing the status, role, and functions of local authorities, and simultaneously devolving to them many of central governments’ social and economic responsibilities (UNCHS, 2001; Hambleton et al., 2002). Within this context, “cities are becoming central to economic development. They are increasingly taking on the role of focal points of economic growth” (Jouve and Lefevere, 2002, p. 186). In order to mediate their newfound role and status, cities are being challenged to significantly enhance the range of strategic socio-economic interventions which they undertake, in an effort to secure investment, encourage growth and deal with issues of social exclusion and poverty. The net result is the identification of an impressively diverse portfolio of city development strategies and interventions (Clarke and Gaile, 1998; Hambleton et al., 2002).
