Can regionalism save poor cities? Politics, institutions, and interests inGlasgow

Regional governmental intervention is frequently advocated as a solution to the problems of poor cities. The regional reform model is examined in ligh t of Glasgow's experience. It suggests that this approach became a trap for Glasgow and contributed to the city's spiral of decline. The findings indi cate that the reform model is seriously flawed by economic determinism and ignores regional political dynamics. In particular, it conflates abstract n otions of regional economic interdependence with policy prescriptions to ai d cities, and it neglects powerful institutional political pressures that b ias regional officials against equity considerations that might favor centr al cities. These forces are not likely to be peculiar only to Glasgow.