The tough economic times are causing pain in cities around the world. But there are a few exceptions. A look at where government spending and expansion is boosting

As the private sector suffers, the public sector has become a rare and increasingly popular refuge.  Cities dominated by bureaucrats and G-men, such as Ottawa, Brussels, and Washington, DC, are not just surviving the global downturn but, in some cases, bucking it. Think booming real estate markets, plentiful job opportunities, and trendy new restaurants are so 2007? That's not the case for these cities.