Divided Cities: New York & London in the Contemporary World

by Susan S. Fainstein, Ian Gordon, Michael Harloe

Divided Cities is the comparative analysis of New York and London which many have been waiting for. Wider in scope and richer in detailthan any previous study, this work provides the best introduction available to these pre--eminent world cities. Seeming at times to mirror each other acrocc the Atlantic, New York and London stand at the apex of their respective national hierarchies, as economic and cultural capitals, and occupy similarly commanding positions within the world economy. From decline in the 1970s to renewal in the 1980s, both cities once again face decline in the 1990s, exhibiting ever--widening social divisions. While struck by the many socio--political similarities on New York and London in their responses to global economic restructuring, the authors also delineate the quite distinctive political structures and social divisions constituted by class, race, and gender, of each city. At the heart of the book lies the In what sense, if any, was there an urban revival in the last decade -- and for whom? In answering this question Divided Cities traces the influence of international economic forces, and national and local policies upon the fortunes of New York and London.

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Susan S. Fainstein (born 1938) is a political theorist and scholar of urban planning. Her research and writing has focused on the distributive effects of urban development strategies and megaprojects, the role of democracy and community control in local public institutions, and establishing a moral theory of "the just city."

A member of the urban planning faculties of Columbia University and Rutgers University for most of her career, Fainstein is now a research scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.