Recent evaluative studies of local economic policy have emphasised the measurement of policy impacts and cost-effectiveness above all else. More effort could usefully be made to understand the mechanisms by which policy effects are produced and the circumstances which condition their...

Competition has become increasingly important as a method of allocating resources in urban policy, particularly with the shift towards decentralised, area-based strategies. This has created uncertainty about the rules of the game and aroused suspicions of arbitrary manipulation of area...

This paper examines the recent development of the electronics industry in Scotland and explores the particular role of ownership. The scale of electronics growth has been striking in some respects, but its nature and quality have been less beneficial from the point of view of the local economy....

Interest in the concept of the polycentric urban region (PUR) has been growing among planners and policy-makers in north-west Europe. PURs are believed to offer a means of promoting regional economic competitiveness while safeguarding environmental objectives. This paper interrogates the concept...

The paper examines the progress made since 1994 to reduce the deep social and spatial divisions in South African cities, focusing on the impact of current development trends in Cape Town. Basic public services are gradually being extended to the historically neglected townships. However, the...