ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the changing international context for urban planning. It reviews the literature that points to a ‘globalisation’ of economic relations and the consequences for cities. Both ‘global’ change and developments within Europe have created new relationships between European cities. Related to arguments about international economic forces is the new concern with international governance and the growing influence of European institutions on urban planning. The collapse of communism in eastern Europe has created another major dimension of change within Europe. This has generated a sudden and significant shift in the geopolitics of the continent.
