Our very own Kevin Cox has finished another book, The Politics of Urban and Regional Development and the American Exception.

“Building on a mix of detailed cases and robust intellectual framework dealing with the contradictions of capitalist uneven development and public policies, Cox stresses the impact of the state, institutions, class, beliefs and civil society. A massive achievement.”
—Patrick le Galès, CNRS research professor of Politics and Sociology, Sciences Po, Centre d'Etudes Européennes

“This is an important book and deserves to be widely read.”
—Ray Hudson, emeritus professor, Department of Geography, Durham University

In The Politics of Urban and Regional Development and the American Exception, Cox addresses the question of why US policy is so unique. In doing so, he illustrates the essential characteristics of American regional development through a series of case studies including housing politics in Silicon Valley; the history of the Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport; and a major redevelopment project that was rebuffed in Columbus, Ohio. Cox contrasts these examples with Western Europe’s tradition of centralized governmental involvement and stronger labor movements that historically have been more concerned with creating what he calls "the good geography" than profits for developers, whatever the shortfalls in policy outcomes might be. The differences illuminate the peculiar nature of political engagement and local competition in shaping the way US urban development has evolved.