Analysing Urban Policy

Abstract

In this first chapter we shall address some necessary preliminaries to the study of urban policy. We shall:

• Consider the term urban. An understanding of the meanings associated with this ill-defined term are essential in the study of a field labelled ‘urban policy’.

• Outline three distinct analytical traditions: pluralist, Marxist and New Right. These approaches, and their subvariants, provide concepts which allow real-world urban policies to be analysed and evaluated.

• Propose a framework for policy evaluation; this will provide the basis for subsequent chapters focused on the assessment of specific urban policies.