The is an Open access book. It provides a comparative and multidisciplinary analysis of how structural issues of local governments and their relations with other government levels are dealt with globally. The volume stands out with three essential features. First, the comparative research reflected in the volume has a global geographical scope because it is the outcome of a Horizon 2020 project involving 18 partners from six continents. Therefore, it includes highly topical and so far under-researched case studies beyond just the European continent.Secondly, we look at the above-mentioned topics from a timely urban-rural perspective, as the ultimate aim is to explore the impact of the phenomenon of urbanisation on local governments and the response of urban and rural municipalities. Thirdly, the book focuses within broader research on the structure of local government and intergovernmental relations on several specific topics that have been revealed by our project as particularly relevant. These are decentralization within metropolitan areas, ways of tackling structural challenges in rural areas through mergers and inter-municipal cooperation, the representation of urban and rural interests by local government associations, as well as the role that local authorities play in intergovernmental conferences.
