Description
Book SynopsisOver the past decades the nation state lost its political primacy by processes of devolution, Europeanisation and globalisation, which in turn enhanced municipal autonomy. Why do some cities seek to sidestep the state and widen their sphere of action? Bridging political geography, local politics and urban sociology, this book gives a new perspective on the state’s weakening authority and the parallel rise of cities as political actors. The author considers the tensions between central states and European cities, giving a new perspective to students and researchers in the social sciences.
Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Ebbs and Flows of Cities as Political Actors 3. The Persistence of Urban Identity in the Global World 4. Fleeing the State 5. The Municipalisation of the European Political Space 6. Civitas Activa: The Mobilising Potential of Cities 7. A Municipal Way Out?
