The ugly grey heap of cement and asphalt that makes up much of the urban sprawl is something most of us wish would just go away. And yet, more than half the world's population will live in urban centres by the turn of the millennium and most will be exposed to degraded urban environments. The contributors to Local Places look at the complex social, economic and political contexts of cities in the 1990s and suggest that cities and urbanity, while part of the problem, also need to be considered as part of the solution. This volume brings together clear and critical analyses and practical proposals that bring us closer to that reality. A primer for urban ecologists who seek to sustain the local places but in the larger political context. Local Places provides planners, community activists, students and the general reader with a cross section of current debates and proposals surrounding urban sustainability.