The environment of cities has become increasingly competitive. Traditional location factors, that once tied economic activities firmly to particular areas have become less important. Increasingly, the ability of a city to anticipate, respond to and cope with internal and external changes is getting attention. Organizing capacity of cities, or preferably, of metropolitan regions is becoming indispensable for sustainable economic and social development. The authors have carried out a comparative investigation in eight European cities (Antwerp, Bilbao, Bologna, Eindhoven, Lisbon, Munchen, Rotterdam and Turin) to increase the insight into the practice of organising capacity. The analysis of the development and implementation of fifteen major revitalization projects in these cities shows that organizing capacity calls for a new style of entrepreneurial urban management with public and private networking, leadership, long term strategies and organizing political and public support as key concepts.