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The main objective of this research is to develop a systematic approach for comprehensive ex-post evaluation of urban policy. In broad terms, urban policies are central government initiatives applied in a spatially targeted manner within urban areas where specific needs have been identified. 'Comprehensive' is defined as the attempt to answer all the questions policy-makers and stakeholders are likely to raise at the various stages of the planning and implementation process. In moving towards the achievement of this objective a number of different, yet supplementary, sources of knowledge and experience are examined. Part 1 reviews the underlying assumptions and strengths and weaknesses of existing appraisal methods and examines their applicability in ex-post evaluation and the choice among them. It also examines the different views and models of both monitoring and implementation analysis and the role each can play within a comprehensive evaluation approach. Part 2 examines evaluation methods adopted in a number of case studies in various fields. It starts with the first hand experience in urban policy evaluation within a governmental context. Then, it critically reviews the methodology adopted for evaluation in a number of case studies in the field of urban policy. Evaluation traditions in the fields of regional (economic) policy in Britain and, trunk road and motorway schemes in the UK, USA and the Netherlands are also reviewed. These different strands are brought together in the form of a flexible systematic approach for comprehensive ex-post evaluation of urban policy. The choice of the 'components' of the approach is based, to a large extent, on the first part of the research. However, the organisation of the approach and the exact role each tool can play are greatly informed by the second part.

Abstract: The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) are ubiquitous in nature and can be isolated from soil, water, plants and more recently in hospitals. The Bcc comprises at least 17 Gram-negative bacterial species that are notorious for their pathogenic effects in immunocompromised individuals. Host colonization by these bacteria causes problems due to their innate resistance to antibiotics. Because of the difficulties in treating Bcc infections, researchers are reevaluating bacteriophages as an alternative therapy to antibiotics. My objective was to confirm the receptor for the Bccspecific bacteriophage KS10, as this knowledge will allow for the construction of effective multi-receptor phage cocktails to treat Bcc infections. Through the use of an updated I-SceI deletion system, we were able to construct LOS mutants to verify previous findings that KS10 interacts with LOS as a receptor. In addition to KS10 resistance, both wabO and waaC mutations displayed reduced fitness in the form of decreased growth and swimming motility when compared to wildtype PC184. These results suggest that phage-resistant mutations can be detrimental to the bacteria.