THIS BOOK IS part of a series on urban and regional planning and development. It consists of a collection of papers, most of which were initially prepared for an urban and city management course jointly implemented by the World Bank Institute and the National University of Singapore. The various contributions by a wide range of authors cover a variety of themes within the urban sector. The editors’ aims are first, to provide the reader with new ideas on how to “…plan, develop and manage urban areas” in East Asia that are subject to such major trends as rapid urbanization, globalization and decentralization, and second, to stimulate a discussion among practitioners searching to improve urban living spaces. The various chapters advance the understanding of how to create and maintain cities that work well through improvements in different fields. The contributions cover local, national and regional levels and are thematically divided into three main parts. Part I deals with “City Management and Strategy”, and covers such issues as urban management, governance and citizen empowerment. Part II focuses on “Finance and Budget Issues”, mainly at municipal level; and Part III is on “Land, Poverty and Other Issues”, including the City Development Strategies programme of the World Bank, and the Cultural Heritage of Cities. The book concludes with a résumé of themes and learning points from the papers, to be taken into account when developing future approaches and solutions to the successful development and management of urban areas.