Jon Pierre

The study of urban governance provides a valuable insight into economic, social, and political forces and how they shape city life. But who and what are the real drivers of change? This innovative text casts new light on the issues and re-examines the state of urban governance at the start of the twenty-first century. Jon Pierre analyses four models of urban governance: 'management', 'corporatist', 'pro-growth' and 'welfare'. Each is assessed in terms of its implications for the major issues, interests and challenges in the contemporary urban arena. Distinctively, Pierre argues that institutions – and the values which underpin them – are the driving forces of change. The book also assesses the impact of globalization upon urban governance.The long-standing debate on the decline of urban governance is re-examined and reformulated by Pierre, who applies a wider international approach to the issues. He argues that the changing cast of private and public actors, combined with new forms of political participation, have resulted in a transformation – rather than a decline – of contemporary urban governance.

Providing important insights into the origins of policy ideas, the qualities and capabilities of leaders, the nature and challenges of large organizational changes, and the complexity of efforts to evaluate the outcomes of reform, the contributors consider aspects of public administration reform in countries such as Canada, Thailand, Mexico, and China as well as the ways in which changes have been shaped by global forces, national values, traditions, and culture. An invaluable work for understanding the new challenges faced by the governments around the world, Comparative Administration Change and Reform offers a clear analysis of both the successes and failures of reform and should be read by anyone interested in politics, administration, and public sector reform.