Israel's industrial geography is unique. The continuing Arab-Israeli conflict has been a primary force behind government intervention in settlement patterns, and has led to a major effort to disperse industry. The geopolitical situation has also encouraged a policy of attempted self-reliance, especially for defence purposes. These factors, combined with an abundant human capital, have given Israeli high-technology industries a special place in the international division of labour. The absorption of waves of mass immigration has influenced industrial development. Rural industrialisation, mainly by the Kibbutz (communal settlement) movement, is another unique feature. The Industrial Geography of Israel presents a comprehensive overview of industrial spatial development of Israel from the Ottoman era to present times, evaluating industrial dispersal policy, corporate geography, high-technology industries, entrepreneurship and rural industrial development. The spatial development of Israeli industry is set within the broader context of Israel's political and economic development and of global economic change, as well as theories of industrial location and regional planning and development.

As urban areas have grown and sprawl has spread in recent decades, metropolitan governments around the world have begun to look beyond city borders, establishing regional partnerships to help them deal with issues of transit, resource use, and more. Metropolitan Governance examines this trend through a close comparative study of seven metropolitan areas in Israel and Germany. While not neglecting the reasons behind these changes in governance, the authors pay particular attention to their effects on--and diminishing of--democratic participation and accountability.

Les questions les plus complexes auxquelles sont aujourd'hui confrontés les gouvernements locaux concernent les aires métropolitaines. Comment gérer en effet les mouvements continus d'étalement urbain ? Quelles solutions apporter à la dissociation croissante s'opérant au fil des ans entre les espaces de vie des individus et leurs espaces politico-institutionnels ? Face aux nouveaux enjeux - développement économique, ségrégation sociospatiale, protection de l'environnement... - qui justifient plus encore qu'auparavant des comportements et pratiques de coopération, la démocratie territoriale se trouve paradoxalement soumise à un processus global de fragmentation qui fragilise substantiellement la légitimité de son action. Les sciences sociales et en particulier la science politique se devaient donc d'étudier les effets profonds et multiples de ce décalage grandissant sur le fonctionnement de la démocratie territoriale. Le GRALE (Groupement de recherches sur l'administration locale en Europe) et le Laboratoire européen associé du CNRS CODE (Comparer les démocraties en Europe) ont ainsi décidé de relever ce défi scientifique en soutenant, entre 2003 et 2006, un programme de recherche comparative internationale, l'Observatoire international des métropoles (OIM). Issu de ce programme, l'ouvrage présente une série d'analyses approfondies, nationales et comparatives, des principaux enjeux socio-politiques de la métropolisation dans différents pays occidentaux.