This collection of urban studies research and interpretation crosses the country from Quebec to B.C., comparing trends and perspectives over the past decade and across and beyond disciplines. Core questions of research, policy and practice facing Montreal and Vancouver—those featuring housing and transportation, in particular—are featured in terms of new and innovative directions. Emerging questions—about urban indigeneity, food systems, climate action—are broached in challenging ways. The twenty authors whose original work is compiled here demonstrate the scope for continued, critical, comparative conversation across francophone and anglophone divides. The book offers a significant resource for understanding the intersecting field and practice of urban studies in Quebec and in B.C. and for spurring its further evolution. A French version of this book is also available.

In Canada, the quality of municipal democracy has been questioned due to three crucial factors. First, voter turnout tends to be significantly lower for municipal elections than it is for other levels of government. Second, the re-election rate of incumbent candidates is higher compared to provincial, territorial, and federal elections. Third, corruption and other scandals have tarnished the image of local democracy. Are cities sufficiently capable of responding to crises and representing the interests of their residents? Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level addresses these issues through qualitative and quantitative analysis, focusing on some of the most important characteristics of the Canadian municipal scene, including the contexts of partisanship and non-partisanship, the careers and daily work of municipal officials, and multilevel governance. This volume also assists directly in the collection and dissemination of data about cities as there is currently no centralized system for capturing and organizing electoral statistics at the municipal level. Municipal democracy in Canada suffers from a representation deficit. Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level is an important first step in building high-quality comparative information on the politics of Canada's cities.