The papers in this collection were presented at an international symposium on improving the management of urban research, particularly through city-university collaboration. An introductory framework paper summarizes the range of research services available to local government, the types of urban research activity, and the problems of urban research in various countries. A state of the art paper reviews experiences in city-university collaboration in demonstration programs funded by the Ford Foundation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Science Foundation during the sixties and the seventies. Subsequent papers discuss the context, current situation, needs, problems, and prospects of urban research collaboration between city governments and universities in Turin, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; Birmingham, England; Detroit, U.S.A.; and Ireland. Issues addressed include the efficient use of limited resources; greater integration of research activities with political and administrative processes; better synchronization between researchers and urban managers/decision-makers; and a better balance between internal and external research activity in local government. A concluding paper examines how human values can help to restore rationality to and increase respect for ideas and dissent in urban policy-making. (Author/MJL)