Three decades of accelerated trade and financial market liberalization have had significant and lasting impacts on the global economy and its component entities. In this volume, Peter Karl Kresl and Earl Fry examine the impacts of these profound changes on the economies of urban areas, and the responses to them. They provide a comprehensive treatment of the issues surrounding internationalization, such as urban transport, communication, and production. In addition, the authors explore the effects of internationalization on municipal foreign affairs, urban governance, inter-city relations and structures, and strategic planning.As nation states have diminished their intervention in local economies, cities have been forced to implement new forms of governance, cooperative inter-city relationships, and city diplomacy. These aspects of globalization have presented urban economies with challenges and threats to existing activities as well as potentially positive opportunities for development of higher value-added, higher-skilled activities. Forced to take a new look at their international competitiveness, many city leaders have launched strategic planning initiatives. Through these they hope to facilitate development of activities that will improve the economic lives of residents and enable their city to maintain or advance its competitiveness and its position in the urban hierarchy.

This unique study will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of economics, urban studies, and public policy, as well as to those in city administrative and leadership positions.