Governing from Below

Urban governments now take on a larger share of public decision-making. Their expanded role operates within limits set by national states, global markets, and the cities themselves. This book examines how localities in France, Germany, and the United States have pursued environmental quality and social inclusion while also promoting economic growth. The author finds that only some European cases managed to deliver all three goals together through coordinated action across levels of government. Where that happened, bottom-up governance depended on sufficient backing from higher authorities and on a advantageous place within the world economy.