ABSTRACT
British cities are in decline. Population levels are falling, the industrial base is shrinking, and the governmental and financial powers and autonomy of the city are being eroded. The symptoms and consequences of this decline are the focus of daily attention, analysis and prescription in local and national news media. Inner urban decay, crime, racial tension, riots, mass unemployment and falling standards of service provision are some of the more obvious and disturbing indicators of a general and deep-seated deterioration in the social, economic, political and financial fabric of the city.
