Including new and original readings, this collection examines how Canadian municipal governments have responded to some of the most fundamental changes to the municipal system since its origins in the nineteenth century. It focuses on issues of housing, transportation, and public health, charting current changes such as the growth in size and scope of municipalities and pointing to an increase in power of municipal governments. While it is unlikely that provincial governments will ever formally accede any direct policy making powers to the municipalities, the editors conclude that these changes mean the local governments will gradually obtain a de facto status as real policy-making bodies.