Book excerpt: Cities are the focus of much of our national life. So it is right that cities are a focus of government policy, after many years of neglect. However, New Labour policy on cities (still in the making) lacks a framing vision of:what cities are forwho they are forwhat kinds of societies they might most democratically embody.Cities for the many not the few reflects on the development of policy towards cities so far, by asking some of the bigger questions about how we might imagine cities in this new century.The authors question the belief that the future of cities lies in just the knowledge economy. Further, they claim that current government thoughts on who should make decisions in cities lacks an overall conception of 'urban citizenship'.The case is argued for a strategy that seeks empowerment across the social spectrum, which feels comfortable with the reconstruction of cities as plural and open.Cities for the many not the few is essential reading for researchers, practitioners and activists interested in the future of urban life.