Urban Policy and Politics in Britain : Contemporary Plitical Studies

by Hill, Dilys M.

• ISBN13: 9780312227456
• ISBN10: 0312227450
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2000-03-16
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

British urban policy, born in the optimistic spirit of post-1945 reform, experienced dramatic changes in the last three decades of the 20th century as the political climate shifted from the Keynesian welfare-state consensus to the entrepreneurial, deregulated regime of the Thatcher and Major years. This comprehensive introduction sets the Blair government's legislation and proposals in a clear historical and theoretical framework. It assesses New Labour's claims for the superiority of its "third way" between state and market approaches and the likely prospects for its search for a more inclusive, and more just, city.

Author Biography

Dilys M. Hill is Professor of Politics at the University of Southampton.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement	viii
List of Figures, Boxes and Tables	ix
Abbreviations	xi
Introduction: the Urban Experience	1	(13)
Exploring the urban world	3	(4)
The challenges ahead	7	(2)
The scope of this book	9	(3)
Conclusion	12	(2)
Seeking Solutions: Urban Policy since 1945	14	(27)
Meeting needs through the planning framework	17	(4)
Rediscovering poverty	21	(4)
From planning to markets	25	(6)
Competing for funds	31	(2)
Judging outcomes	33	(2)
Convergence around the new consensus?	35	(3)
Conclusion	38	(3)
Debating the Issues: the Ideas that Underpin Policy	41	(25)
Neoliberalism, neoconservatism and the limited state	42	(3)
The political economy discourse	45	(8)
Alternative accounts	53	(5)
Elite, corporatist and pluralist frameworks	58	(3)
Normative and intergovernmental theories	61	(1)
Guiding principles for 2000 and beyond	62	(2)
Conclusion	64	(2)
Providing the Framework for Action	66	(29)
The democratic structure	68	(3)
Alliances for Action	71	(1)
Moving to a regional dimension	72	(4)
The power of the centre	76	(4)
Seeking new trust	80	(4)
Urban policy and `reinventing government'	84	(3)
The policy impacts of the European Union	87	(5)
Conclusion	92	(3)
Urban Politics: Democracy for All	95	(29)
Claiming democratic legitimacy	96	(4)
Local democracy and local community	100	(4)
Citizenship	104	(2)
Participation	106	(5)
More active involvement: from neighbourhoods to deliberative democracy	111	(3)
Urban politics and the informed citizen	114	(3)
Inclusion and exclusion	117	(5)
Conclusion	122	(2)
Meeting the Challenge: Reversing Decline and Improving Services	124	(46)
Local regeneration	126	(2)
Attacking deprivation and exclusion	128	(6)
Bringing communities back in	134	(5)
Disadvantaged minorities	139	(1)
The scale of local provision	140	(3)
Crime and disorder	143	(6)
Education	149	(7)
Housing	156	(5)
Health and community care	161	(2)
The sustainable city	163	(4)
Conclusion	167	(3)
The Modernising Agenda	170	(37)
A third way?	171	(2)
Taking change forward	173	(2)
Refocusing regeneration: targeting and partnerships	175	(2)
Moving decisions from the centre	177	(3)
The holistic approach to urban policy	180	(3)
The new local leadership	183	(2)
Modernising local government	185	(5)
The implications of a mayoral system	190	(9)
Learning from London	199	(5)
Conclusion: the new world of urban politics	204	(3)
Conclusion: Cities in Changing Times	207	(17)
The evolution of policy change	209	(2)
The importance of ideas	211	(2)
Getting things done	213	(1)
Bringing people together	214	(5)
Local communities and local choices	219	(1)
Conclusion	220	(4)
Further Reading	224	(3)
References	227	(15)
Index	242