Urban Policy in Practice

Urban Policy in Practiceis a detailed, up-to-date account of urban policy in Britain. With a focus on local government, it combines a study of policy in practice with a critical assessment of recent developments. Using a wide range of examples, Tim Blackman shows how policies and services are responding to today's urban problems, stressing in particular the need for corporate strategies, democratic control and sustainable development. The opening chapter discusses urban policy as a framework for allocating resources to meet needs. How to define "need" and how to assess it are the major themes of the book. Subsequent chapters explore how policy is put into practice using objective setting, performance indicators and evaluations of its effects. The book includes a clear and detailed study of local government finance and an analysis of the growing role of research in urban policy and public administration.