Jen Nelles

Compares and situates Canadian municipal institutions, urban governance systems, and policy-making in global debates about democratic governance. Covers the foundations of Canadian municipal systems, key policy areas such as climate change, immigration, Indigenous–municipal relations, and urban inequality, and assesses whether current municipal structures are equipped to address contemporary urban challenges and support democratic life.

Traces how the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey evolved far beyond its original mission, expanding from rail freight improvements into building major transportation infrastructure, managing airports, and even taking over a struggling commuter rail line.

Offers a new way to conceptualize common approaches to regional governance: Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) that bring together local governments to coordinate policies across jurisdictional boundaries. Sheds light on the evolution of regional decision-making and contributes to broader debates about intergovernmental relations, collaboration, and American regionalism.

Looks closely at hundreds of agreements from across Canada and at four case studies drawn from Ontario, Quebec, and Yukon Territory to explore relationships between Indigenous and local governments.

Explores the sources and barriers to cooperation and metropolitan policy making. Finds that existing institutional theories cannot fully explain patterns of collaboration and proposes a new concept of “civic capital," which argues that civic engagement and leadership at the regional scale can be important catalysts to metropolitan cooperation.