Introduction

Abstract

The chapter starts with divergent development paths of the five cities divided into two groups: success and failure. Then, six possible explanations for the divergences are proposed. They are: the national development strategy matters for the development of cities; the share of budget revenue that a city is allowed to retain for its expenditure is critical; consistently pursuing long-term strategies is important, while focusing too much on short-term issues with vague visions and simple panaceas cannot help a city solve its problems; public entrepreneurship with powerful supporting coalitions is important, while political terms are not necessarily a major constraint for achievements; master plans have limited roles in the development path of a city; and fragmented governments have caused problems for a city’s development, but a consolidated or centralized municipal government does not secure the success of a city’s development. The final section presents the research objectives and limitations.