"Bringing together comparative case studies from Amsterdam, Chicago, Leeds, London, Munich, New York, Seattle, St. Louis and The Hague, this asks what are the potential implications of corporate community involvement for the sustainable development of cities and the creation of cross-sector partnerships. It analyzes the involvement of companies in urban challenges in the fields of education, employment, safety, affordable housing and the living environment. It also looks at the efforts made to establish strategic partnership between 'enlightened' corporations and public authorities. The book reveals that 'pro-active' firms attach much value to investments in their 'urban environment' as part of their corporate strategy. But it also shows that cities do not yet take full advantage of these arising opportunities."--Jacket.