This is the first comparative study of the effects of global economic restructuring on the populations of major cities of North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa. The book offers a detailed examination of thirteen metropolises with each chapter following the same format of providing both local details and general theoretical interpretations. The chapters show the "post-industrial restructuring" profile and the economic changes that relate to national and international economies. They indicate the demographic, social and economic changes over the past 30 years and look at the impacts of local and national policies to mitigate the worst effects of the economic developments.

The book identifies the changing options for individuals and households under the specific conditions prevalent in each country. It also looks at the future of the social ecology of the cities and the nature of inter-group social relations, in the competition for jobs, housing, access to government services and educational chances.

It provides an up-to-date view of the situation that minority populations face in the world's economic nodes, such as London, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Zurich, with detailed commentaries by local experts, both geographers and sociologists.