Drawing on extensive quantitative and qualitative material, the prime focus of discussion is the impact of a broad range of urban regeneration policies on the inner cities of five major ports in northern and southern Europe (Barcelona, Genoa, Hamburg, Liverpool and Marseilles). Thematic case studies are presented against the wider background of national and European Union policies, as well as the varying fortunes of these cities in effecting successful economic transformation. Reviewing policy since the 1970s, the inter-related topics addressed are critical to any 'joined up' strategy: physical rehabilitation; the local economy; labour market progammes; area-based measures in education, health and social services; attempts to combat social exclusion and to improve the situation of ethnic minorities; and crime and policing. Apart from investigating the renegotiation of responsibilities among tiers of government, the book evalutates the contribution to the creation of new urban regimes being made by diverse and rapidly emerging partnerships.