This volume, comprised of contributions by urban planners and social scientists sets forth accumulated experience directed at improving the quality of life in cities through neighbourhood programmes. Policy issues, housing programmes and job development plans, along with organizational innovations aimed at redistribution of power, are described and evaluated. The book shows that in spite of national and local differences, there are common lines of thinking in the urban planning profession that lead to similar approaches to solving problems of urban neighbourhoods in western countries. In all of them, slum clearance has been substituted by programmes to improve the existing housing stock and to open new opportunities to the local residents. In addition, government-only large projects are being replaced by public-private smaller initiatives. The collection of papers leads to the conclusion that there are reasons and ways to cultivate our neighbourhoods. This may be important in our times, when changing employment arrangements cause a larger proportion of the population to spend more time at home and at its immediate environment, the neighbourhood.
