There is consensus in literature that urban areas have become  increasingly vulnerable to the outcomes of economic restructuring under  the neoliberal political economic ideology. The increased frequency and  widening diversity of problems offer evidence that the socio-economic  and spatial policies, planning and practices introduced under the  neoliberal agenda can no longer be sustained. As this shortfall was  becoming more evident among urban policymakers, planners, and  researchers in different parts of the world, a group of discontent  researchers began searching for new approaches to addressing the  increasing vulnerabilities of urban systems in the wake of growing  socio-economic and ecological problems.
This book is the joint effort of  those who have long felt that contemporary planning systems and  policies are inadequate in preparing cities for the future in an  increasingly neoliberalising world. It argues that "resilience thinking"  can form the basis of an alternative approach to planning. Drawing upon  case studies from five cities in Europe, namely Lisbon, Porto,  Istanbul, Stockholm, and Rotterdam, the book makes an exploration of the  resilience perspective, raising a number of theoretical debates, and  suggesting a new methodological approach based on empirical evidence.  This book provides insights for intellectuals exploring alternative  perspectives and principles of a new planning approach.
Nordregio's Peter Schmitt, Lisbeth Greve Harbo and Asli Tepecik Diş have contributed with two chapters:
- Urban Resilience and Polycentricity: The Case of the Stockholm Urban Agglomeration (Peter Schmitt, Lisbeth Greve Harbo and Asli Tepecik Diş)
- Managing Urban Change in Five European Urban Agglomerations: Key Policy Documents and Institutional Frameworks (Peter Schmitt)
Eraydin, Ayda; Taşan-Kok, Tuna (Eds.), Resilience Thinking in Urban Planning, The GeoJournal Library, Vol 106