Introduction to small cities : how to describe/define them? -- Small cities in a world of mega-cities -- What are the strengths and weaknesses of smaller cities? -- Is size important? -- Public policy and small cities in North America -- Public policies and small cities in the European Union --...

1. The new metropolis : rethinking megalopolis / Robert Lang and Paul K. Knox -- 2. Looking backward, looking forward : the city region of the mid-21st century / Peter Hall -- 3. The 21st-century metropolis : new geographies of theory / Ananya Roy -- 4. City regions and place development / Patsy...

1. Setting the stage -- 2. An action framework for rural municipalities -- 3. An agenda for cross-border know-how exchange -- 4. The evaluation of the transferability of the proposed agenda -- 5. Conclusion.

"The Randstad metropolitan region encompassing Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht in the western Netherlands is regarded worldwide as a model of a 'successful' polycentric metropolis. It is widely cited as an example of how a region of interconnected small cities can effectively compete...