Governing Compact Cities

Philipp Rode, Executive Director, LSE Cities and Associate Professorial Research Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

'Demonstrating an encyclopaedic grasp of the planning and policy complexities that surround efforts to advance urban sustainability, this extensively referenced and empirically grounded book reveals the multiple pathways that cities can take to achieve the aims of urban compactness. Philipp Rode unpacks the urban governance agenda with a sharp eye to bureaucratically thorny organisational dynamics as well as to the constraints imposed by those who prefer market to state solutions in cities, while also sharing his deep knowledge of how difficult it is to coordinate transport and land use in such conditions. I have yet to decide whether this book's greatest value is its profound grasp of the literature and current debates on policy, planning, land use and transport, or its well-researched and informative account of the steps taken by governing officials in Berlin and London to enhance densification through cross-sector coordination of urban development policies. Both aspects of the book are absolutely invaluable, yet it is the carefully crafted mix of these subjects and sensibilities that makes the book an indispensable resource for scholars and practitioners seeking to discover the holy grail of sustainable urban development.'--Diane E. Davis, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, US'Governing Compact Cities is a prime example of what could be called the new Urban Studies: not beholden to disciplinary and professional silos, but working across them; less focused on one particular city or problem, but comparative in focus and with a keen emphasis on the institutions and processes that make up for integrated city governance over time. Philipp Rode's book on Berlin and London is a must read for students of cities, governance and policy studies alike, as it is for professionals in the field.'--Helmut K. Anheier, Hertie School of Governance, Germany

• Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Compact urban growth and sustainable transport 3. Integrated urban governance and its institutions 4. Berlin: Integrating multi-level metropolitan governance 5. London: Urban governance with a new centre 6. Conclusion: Comparison and implications Index