"In the past 15 years, the new mantra for many governments has been New Public Management, which includes an attempt by governments to mimic the efficiency and accountability of the private sector. Kaganova and McKellar's book nicely surveys, documents, and generalizes the challenges and successes made in these efforts to professionalize real property asset management in countries ranging from Australia to Switzerland. Countries with emerging markets will benefit from lessons learned."
—Arthur I. Segel, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School
'This book is a significant contribution to a very limited but emerging body of knowledge on real property management in the public sector. It balances the view that improving the management of public real property assets is simply a matter of adopting practices from the private sector. The authors effectively convey a framework to advance best practices in this sector and to assist emerging economies in facing their inevitable challenges.'
—Blair James, Executive Director, Real Property and Materiel Policy Directorate, Government Operations Sector, Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat
"Public real property accounts for much of the wealth of developed and developing countries. Yet it is often severely mismanaged and underutilized. This book breaks new ground in shedding light on this critical area of public policy. It provides rich country case studies and a comparative framework for understanding various legal, regulatory, accounting, and management approaches to public property. It is a valuable resource for legislators and managers at the national and local levels of government."
—Omar Razzaz, Country Manager, the World Bank
"The national and international perspectives of these experts reminds us of the important role played by real estate asset managers in assisting elected officials to devise strategies designed to improve the quality of life for residents of the world's cities. Real estate asset management has a direct impact on people's lives and helps define the future course of urban development. Thought leaders in this profession will benefit greatly from the insights presented in this volume."
—Kurt Schmoke, Dean, Howard University School of Law, Former Mayor, Baltimore, Maryland
"This benchmark book raises, for the first time in a unified and comparative way, the major question of how central, regional, and local governments can become better owners of their real estate assets, in advanced economies and emerging economies alike. This is a pioneering and stimulating book that lays important foundations for new work on this topic, which will continue to grow in significance and in visibility in the coming decades."
—Bertrand Renaud, Renaud Advisors, Former Advisor, Financial Development Department, the World Bank
