Urban managers continue to do what they have done for decades: manage conflict, adapt to shifting demographics, balance their own source funds with intergovernmental revenues, respond to federal and state mandates, negotiate with other localities in their same metropolitan area, and deliver goods and services. But managers today are confronted with new challenges in what has become “fend for yourself” federalism. City executives must do more with less while at the same time figure out ways to harness the power of new technologies and react to a globalized world and economy. It is no wonder then that even great managers can fail at urban administration. To succeed, they must understand the nature of community values, the pitfalls of bureaucratic inertia, and the craft of leadership—that is, the politics of urban management.

Morgan, England, and Pelissero offer a forward-looking account of this new urban management environment. In a comprehensive update, the authors have reorganized the book’s structure to better fit the challenges facing today’s cities, and make even greater use of systems theory as an analytic framework. Featuring discussions of the New Public Management model, the impacts of globalization, changes in service delivery, urban planning, economic development, and program evaluation, they discuss key productivity enhancements that emphasize results and accountability. The authors then focus on the impact of citizen participation, e-government, the events of 9/11, and intergovernmental relations as examples of significant environmental factors that impinge on the management of modern cities. In addition, every case study in the book is brand new and many include information on “Connecting to the Internet” and “Profiles of Urban Practitioners and Scholars.”

All chapters conclude with a summary, suggestions for further reading, and notes.

PART I. THE ENVIRONMENT OF URBAN MANAGEMENT

1. Managing American Cities In The 21st Century: Issues and Concerns, Old and New
Introduction: American Cities Continue to Change and Evolve
How and Why American Cities Have Changed
How Cities Have Improved Their Management Capacity
Systems Analysis and Local Policymaking
Better Management Is Not Enough
The Plan of The Book

2. Cities and the System of Intergovernmental Relations
Federalism
Intergovernmental Relations

3. Urban Political Structure
The Reform Movement
Forms of City Government
Ballot Type
Electoral Systems
Home Rule and the Legal Status of the City

PART II. MANAGING CONFLICT AND DELIVERING GOODS AND SERVICES IN THE MODERN CITY

4. Urban Policymaking
The Nature of Urban Policy
Chief Executives
Citizens’ Influences on City Government

5. Urban Planning and Development
The Nature of City Planning
Planning in a Political Environment
Planning Activities
Politics and Practice of Eminent Domain
Urban Economic Development
Organizing for and Managing Economic Development
The Politics of Urban Development

6. Decision Making and Analysis
Approaches to Decision Making
Decision-Making Tools
Program Analysis and Other Systematic Approaches to Decision Making
The Analysis Process
Applications
Geographic and Management Information
Systems and Computers: Friends of Analysis
Resistance to Change

7. Urban Service Delivery
Goals for Service Delivery
Measuring Efficiency and Effectiveness of Urban Services
Equity of Services: A Political Goal?
Responsiveness in Service Delivery
Alternative Service Delivery
Implementing and Evaluating Urban Programs
Citizen Surveys

PART III. THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS: MANAGING PROGRAMS, PEOPLE, MONEY AND UNCERTAINTY

8. The Management Process: Theory and Processes
Organizations as Open Systems
Leadership
Managing for Results: REGO and NPM
Serving, Not Steering: A Response to REGO and the NPM

9. Finance and Budgeting
Revenues
Expenditures
Budgeting
Managing Municipal Finances

10. Human Resource Management
Administration of the Personnel Function
HRA Functions
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity
Labor-Management Relations

11. Managing the Post-September 11th City
The At-Risk City in the 21st Century
Managing Man-Made and Natural Disasters

PART IV. THE URBAN FUTURE

12. Managing the Urban Future
Managing Administration: People, Programs, Money, Information, and Technology
Managing Management: There Are No Silver Bullets
Managing Politics: All Government is Local
A Final Word

“Clearly the dominant text in local government management, and for good reason. Morgan, England, and Pelissero provide a balanced and conceptually rich look into the challenging world of the contemporary urban manager. The sixth edition has been thoroughly updated and packed with interesting case materials that link theory with management practice.”

“Managing Urban America remains the most thorough, most timely and most accessible text for teaching urban management. Morgan, England and Pelissero paint a vivid picture of the organizational challenges and the external politics of managing the contemporary urban complex. For students, this book offers a realistic assessment of what confronts urban managers and the rewards that accrue from work in the front lines of government. For practitioners and professors, the text serves as a helpful reference and a valuable source of reassurance concerning the realities of managing in the urban environment.”

“Managing Urban America is a challenging, yet still accessible, overview of the increasingly complex environment of urban governance. The authors have struck just the right balance between theory and practice, while weaving into the text interesting and relevant case studies. I love the book, but more importantly, so do my students.”

David R. Morgan is professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma where he was the Henry Bellmon Chair of Public Service and professor of political science. He spent five years in local government including service as the first city manager of Yukon, Oklahoma.

Robert E. England is professor of political science at Oklahoma State University. He is the author or coauthor of several books and book chapters. His research has appeared in a number of journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Politics, and Public Administration Review.

John P. Pelissero is professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago. He is the editor of Cities, Politics, and Policy: A Comparative Analysis (2003) and the author of numerous articles on cities. His recent research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science and Urban Affairs Review.