About this book:

*City Power* serves as a strategic manual for municipal leaders and urban activists to maximize local authority within the complex landscape of European multi-level governance. The book argues that while cities are often legally and fiscally constrained by national and regional frameworks, they possess significant untapped leverage through the creative use of land policy, procurement, and "own-source" revenue generation. By moving beyond traditional administrative roles, cities can function as engines of democratic problem-solving and social change, provided they align their fiscal tools with clear social and environmental outcomes.

The text details specific playbooks for addressing urgent urban challenges, such as housing affordability and climate resilience. It advocates for a "Housing First" approach to homelessness and the utilization of social housing, rent stabilization, and community land trusts to secure permanent affordability. Furthermore, the book emphasizes the importance of "Smart Spending"—shifting from line-item budgeting to outcome-based finance—and leveraging public procurement to support local equity, fair labor, and green innovation. By treating land as a strategic asset rather than a commodity, cities can capture value created by public investment to fund essential infrastructure.

Central to the book’s thesis is the belief that durable political change requires deep democratic engagement. It highlights participatory budgeting and citizen assemblies as tools to build legitimacy and trust, while advocating for "co-production" through neighborhood councils and urban commons. The authors stress that modern city power is also digital, requiring robust data governance to protect privacy while improving service delivery. Ultimately, the book positions the city not as a machine to be operated, but as a living ecosystem that must be tended through coalition-building across diverse stakeholders and layers of government.

Finally, the guide addresses the "external" dimensions of city power: intergovernmental navigation and urban diplomacy. It provides strategies for lobbying national and EU institutions and emphasizes the value of city networks for peer learning and collective influence. Success in the urban arena is defined by the ability to scale pilot projects into permanent policy and to maintain momentum across electoral cycles. By mastering these relational and technical skills, municipal actors can transform local mandates into outsized impact, ensuring that the city remains a resilient sanctuary of inclusion and opportunity.