In this completely revised second edition, the authors explore what can be learned from a rigorous comparison of the patterns of urban concentrations of residents and employment in Western Europe and the United States. Using a wide range of methodological techniques, including economic theory, econometrics, regional science, and institutional historical analysis, the essays analyze the factors underlying urban economic development, with particular emphasis on the role and effectiveness of public policy.

This book focuses on economic relationships within the eight counties in the Philadelphia Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area. Long-term economic developments, changes in socioeconomic profiles between 1960 and 1980, and patterns of employment are examined on a county by county. Special attention is given to the spread and growth of employment in high-technology industries, the interdependencies between jobs and residents in the city and suburbs, and the roles of federal and state aid to the region.