THIS PUBLICATION IS a compilation of papers presented at a workshop on Urban Governance in Major World Cities, organized by the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in December, 2000. As suggested by the title, the book looks at the emergence of a new reality (large urban areas) and the subsequent new challenge it creates (urban governance) within the world of development. Richard Stren, one of the book’s editors, describes the structures of governance erected to respond to the problems of urban areas as “Godzilla”.

The book is divided into two main sections. The first, aptly named “Urban Governance: snapshots from around the globe”, looks at four examples of governance in cities in low and middle income countries. The second section has four more detailed and lengthier essays, followed by short, related policy papers. The common thread running through these articles is their analysis of the problem of urban governance with respect to globalization, decentralization and the notion of democracy or participation. There are a variety of geopolitical perspectives, representing academia and practice.

The first section begins with the Mumbai case study. The author focuses on two major urban problems, namely transport and slums, highlighting the contradictions which arise from the twin objectives of autonomy and the importance of highlighting the urban agenda in the national political arena. The Abidjan example highlights the struggle of the metropolitan government in existence since 1980, specifically with regard to their policy of decentralization and the subsequent consequences it has had for the provision of health services. The complications arising from the influence of politics on planning are illustrated with the example of squatter settlements in Sao Paulo. Decentralization, seen here as a natural step with a population of over 17 million inhabitants, has had limited success, but points the way to the future. The Kyiv example appears to offer little hope as there is a lack of political will to design and implement genuine reform, along with low institutional capacity on the part of municipal authorities and poor civil society participation.

The second section begins with an essay on South Africa. It focuses on two major challenges to urban governance in Johannesburg: the transition from a multi-racial to a non-racial government and the desire to make Johannesburg a “world-class city”. The article highlights the increasing use of global rhetoric and the new inequalities it creates. It also explores how the divergent goals of traditional planning may be made congruent with the concept of “high modernism”. A related policy paper focuses on the issue of competitiveness in cities in the North and South, and the unanticipated consequences for the poorer cities.

The local context of the nexus between politics and governance is addressed in more detail in the case study of Metro Manila. Within the highly structured system of governance from the national to the local level, the city-region is still governed by a patchwork of agencies and governments. An historical and cultural perspective is provided which also highlights the relationship between government and civil society. The theme of participation within the Chilean context is the focus of the policy paper which follows.

Tokyo is the largest urban region in the world, with 30 million inhabitants spread out over 11 prefectures. In chapter 7, the issue of decentralization is explored along with the resource crunch which hinders the local wards of the city from dealing with the issues of disposal, housing and traffic congestion. Ideas about municipal confederation and other reforms are explored. The policy paper which follows focuses on appropriate governance as an objective function and a goal rooted in normative thinking, using as an example the work on housing indicators for performance.

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