The Contemporary British City locates aspects of urban governance within the broader debates about the welfare state in Britain.

Local economic development, inner city policy, housing, transport, welfare and education are dealt with in terms of a variety of economic, political, financial and sociodemographic factors. Each chapter addresses issues relating to the effectiveness and equity of intervention in the postwar period; the tension between political rhetoric and policy reality; and the degree to which debate between and within political parties has modified policy implementation.