Working Capital Life and Labour in Contemporary London

The turn-of-the-century has seen a fundamental change in attitudes to major cities, heralding the arrival of a new urban area. For decades the cities of the developed world were seen as problem beset relics from Times of availability and slow communications. But now, their potential to sustain creativity, culture and global innovation is perceived as crucial to success in a much more competitive global economy.
This book provides a rigorous but accessible analysis of these key issues taking London as its test case. London is the most internationalized and deregulated of all major cities, but also exhibits both a sharp economic turnaround and increasingly concentrated deprivation. The book provides the first substantial analysis of ley economic, social and structural issues that the new London administration faces. In a wider context, its critical assessment of the basis of the new urbanism and of the global City thesis will raise questions both about the adequacy of Urban thinking and about the capacity of new institutions alone to resolve the fundamental problems faced by cities.

For decades the cities of the developed world were seen as problem-beset relics from times of low mobility and slow communications. But now, their potential to sustain creativity, culture and innovation is perceived as crucial to success in a much more competitive global ecomony. The vital requirement to secure and sustain this success is argued to be the achievement of social cohesion.Working Capital provides a rigorous but accessible analysis of these key issues taking London as its test case. The book provides the first substantial analysis of key economic, social and structural issues that the new London administration needs to deal with. In a wider context, its critical assessment of the bases of the new urbanism and of the global city thesis will raise questions both about the adequacy of urban thinking and about the capacity of new institutions alone to resolve the fundamental problems faced by cities.

1. Competition, Cohesion and Governance: The Urban Triangle. 2. Spaces and People: Changing Geographies of the Region. 3. Complex Business: Growth and Volatility in London's Economies. 4. More Opportunity, More Inequality: Social Structure and Economic Change in London. 5. 'Education, Education, Education': The Role of Schooling in London. 6. Climbing Up, Bumping Down and Flitting Around: London's Dynamic Labour Market. 7. Down But Not Out in London: Marginality and Social Exclusion. 8. How Social is the Capital? Getting By and Getting on in London. 9. Things Endure, Things Change: London Neighbourhoods. 10. Steering, Rowing, Drowning or Waving? The Modernisation of London's Governance. 11. The Name of Action: Ideas, Commitment and the Agenda for Cities.