"Reigning theories of urban power suggest that in a world dominated by footloose transnational capital, cities have little capacity to effect social change. In City Power, Schragger challenges this conventional wisdom, arguing that cities can and should pursue aims other than making themselves attractive to global capital. Using the municipal living wage movement as an example, Schragger explains why cities are well-positioned to address issues like income equality and how our institutions can be designed to allow them to do so"--

In 2013, Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history. That dubious honor marked the end of a long decline, during which city leaders slashed municipal costs and desperately sought to attract private investment. That same year, an economically resurgent New York City elected a progressive mayor intent on reducing income inequality and spurring more equitable economic development. Whether or not Mayor Bill de Blasio realizes his legislative vision, his agenda raises a fundamental question: can American cities govern, or are they powerless in the face of global capital? Conventional economic wisdom asserts that cities cannot do very much. Conventional political wisdom asserts that cities should not do very much. In City Power, Richard Schragger challenges both these claims, arguing that cities can govern, but only if we let them. In the past decade, city leaders across America have raised the minimum wage, expanded social services, put conditions on incoming development, and otherwise engaged in social welfare redistribution. These cities have not suffered from capital flight - in fact, many are experiencing an economic renaissance. Schragger argues that the range of city policies is not limited by the requirements of capital, but instead by a constitutional structure that serves the interests of state and federal officials. Maintaining weak cities is a political choice. City Power shows how cities can govern despite constitutional limitations - and why we should want them to. In an era of global capital, municipal power is more relevant than ever to citizen well-being. A dynamic vision of city politics for the new urban age, City Power demonstrates that the city should be at the very center of our economic, legal, and political thinking.

This book discusses the integration of power electronics, renewable energy, and the Internet of Things (IoT) from the perspective of smart cities in a single volume. The text will be helpful for senior undergraduate, graduate students and academic researchers in diverse engineering fields including electrical, electronics and communication, and computers. The book: Covers the integration of power electronics, energy harvesting, and the IoT for smart city applications Discusses concepts of power electronics and the IoT in electric vehicles for smart cities Examines the integration of power electronics in renewable energy for smart cities Discusses important concepts of energy harvesting including solar energy harvesting, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers, and switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) Explores IoT connectivity technologies such as long-term evolution (LTE), narrow band NB-IoT, long-range (LoRa), Bluetooth, and ZigBee (IEEE Standard 802.15.4) for low data rate wireless personal communication applications The text provides the knowledge about applications, technologies, and standards of power electronics, renewable energy, and IoT for smart cities. It will serve as an ideal reference text for senior undergraduate, graduate students and academic researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics and communication engineering, computer engineering, civil engineering, and environmental engineering.