The establishment of the Greater London Authority (GLA) in 2000 brought a new form of politics to London and new powers to formulate strategic policy. Through an investigation of the access of business interests in the formulation of London's strategic agenda, this article illuminates one aspect...

The position of a city in any hierarchy of world importance is not a static phenomenon. This paper takes the example of Tokyo and explores its interaction with the dramatic economic and political events in Japan over the past 20 years. Although Tokyo is widely regarded as one of the top three...

The government of London has fragmented. Numerous quangos have taken over urban policy and planning roles. Recently further bodies have arisen in response to the government's urban expenditure competitions. This fragmentation has been accompanied by increasing centralisation, achieved through...

Current literature on the new urban governance highlights the changes in patterns of relationships between actors at the local level, but also emphasises the continuing or even increasing importance of central government; in urban policy in particular there has been notable centralisation. Using...