"Scott has something different to say--a new and innovative perspective on the modern city. . . . This is a fine book, and . . . a major contribution to our understanding of the modern metropolis."--Gordon L. Clark, Carnegie Mellon University

ÔThis is vintage Allen Scott, but also a tour dÕhorizon of the state of urban studies, 2012, by one of its foremost global practitioners: compulsory reading.Õ Ð Peter Hall, University College London, UK ÔIn this book, Allen Scott enriches his longstanding research into the ways in which city-regions function as the main economic engines of global capitalism. The end result is a seminal synthesis of how city-regions are increasingly enchained with one another in intensifying relations of competition and cooperation, and is a must-read for students and scholars alike.Õ Ð Ben Derudder, Monash University, Australia and Ghent University, Belgium ÔScottÕs book is a remarkable treatment of the emerging global economy, weaving together the frontiers of technology and the ways in which labor is managed and surplus created with the cities of tomorrow. His book challenges conventional notions of the Òglobal cityÓ to provide a more nuanced account of the ways in which the emerging culturalÐcognitive economy of the 21st century is producing urban landscapes. His conception of the city of tomorrow is informed by deep knowledge of the contemporary city around the world and provides the reader with the conceptual building blocks to re-frame how we think about urbanization now and in the future.Õ Ð Gordon L. Clark, University of Oxford, UK This innovative volume offers an in-depth analysis of the many ways in which new forms of capitalism in the 21st century are affecting and altering the processes of urbanization. Beginning with the recent history of capitalism and urbanization and moving into a thorough and complex discussion of the modern city, this book outlines the dynamics of what the author calls the third wave of urbanization, characterized by global capitalismÕs increasing turn to forms of production revolving around technology-intensive artifacts, financial services, and creative commodities such as film, music, and fashion. The author explores how this shift toward a cognitive and cultural economy has caused dramatic changes in the modern economic landscape in general and in the form and function of world cities in particular. Armed with cutting-edge research and decades of expertise, Allen J. Scott breaks new ground in identifying and explaining how the cities of the past are being reshaped into a complex system of global economic spaces marked by intense relationships of competition and cooperation. Professors and students in areas such as geography, urban planning, sociology, and economics will find much to admire in this pioneering volume, as will journalists, policy-makers, and other professionals with an interest in urban studies.

Preliminary arguments : culture, economy, and the city -- Origins and early growth of the Hollywood motion picture industry -- A new map of Hollywood -- The other Hollywood : television program production -- Dream factories : studios, soundstages, and sets -- The digital visual effects industry -- Local labor markets in Hollywood -- Hollywood in America and the world : distribution and markets -- Cinema, culture, globalization.

"By far the most sophisticated treatment of industrial structure and spatial organization in the Southern California manufacturing system. The analysis powerfully combines cogent historical narratives, revealing statistical profiles, and incisive empirical and theoretical discussion. . . . Long overdue given the region's obvious importance to the American and world economies."--Richard Gordon, University of California, Santa Cruz "By far the most sophisticated treatment of industrial structure and spatial organization in the Southern California manufacturing system. The analysis powerfully combines cogent historical narratives, revealing statistical profiles, and incisive empirical and theoretical discussion. . . . Long overdue given the region's obvious importance to the American and world economies."--Richard Gordon, University of California, Santa Cruz

Table of Contents

A major shift is under way in contemporary capitalist industries - away from mass production and towards flexible working arrangements. This book reviews the consequences of this shift in terms of labour, employee relations, and effects on the location of industry. The work also scrutinises the effect of this shift on modern urban and regional ......