European cities and global competitiveness : strategies for improving performance The volume begins with an Introduction followed by a set of three papers in Part Two examining European urban competitiveness from the standpoints of measurement and policy. This section also provides a case study of the cities of one country Italy from which the reader can gain an understanding of the current position of European cities as well as what might be possible going forward. Experience has shown that perhaps the most crucial element in competitiveness enhancement is good and effective governance. To that end Part Three examines structural aspects of urban government including polycentric regions wide metropolitan cooperation the role of social actors and territorial aggregation. Part Four treats issues of innovation from two perspectives and provides a case study from Eindhoven while also covering social issues such as demographics participation social exclusion and mobility.