The book explores and discusses some of the changes, challenges and opportunities confronting local governance in the context of the new urban paradigm associated with the HABITAT III New Urban Agenda, a 20-year strategy for sustainable urbanization, adopted in October 2016 in Quito, Ecuador. The chapters included in the book address public policy issues from different theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, written by authors from different academic disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (Geography, Political Science, Public Administration, Spatial Planning, Law, Regional Science, among other fields), and offer an inter-disciplinary vision of these issues. The chapters are written by members of the International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on Geography of Governance.

Autorentext
Carlos Nunes Silva is Professor Auxiliar at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Portugal. He is Chair of the International Geographical Union's Commission on Geography of Governance and founding Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of E-Planning Research. His research areas include urban and metropolitan governance, history and theory of urban planning, urban planning in Africa, urban e-planning, urban planning ethics, local government policies, local e-government, research methods.
Anna Trono, associate professor of Political and Economic Geography at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Italy, is an experienced researcher in tourism, environmental problems and urban planning in EU Countries. These skills and competencies have also been acquired during study visits in Universities in other countries. She has published numerous essays and books on these themes, many of which in connection with large-scale projects involving international universities and under the aegis of European Union research programs.

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Local Governance in the New Urban Agenda: An Introduction (Carlos Nunes Silva, University of Lisbon, Portugal).- Part 1. Local Government Institutional Reforms.- Chapter 2. Local Governance Cultures in Comparative Perspective: Decentralization Reforms in Lusophone Countries (Carlos Nunes Silva, University of Lisbon, Portugal).- Chapter 3. Changing Paradigm of Local Governance in Hungary (Ilona Pálné Kovács , Hungarian Academy of Science, University of Pécs, Hungary).- Chapter 4. Division of Public Tasks Between the State and Local Government: Case of Hungary After the Reform (Laszlo Kakai, University of Pécs, Hungary).- Chapter 5. Exemplarily National Urban Policy in the Shadow of the New Local Government Model Characterized by Nationalization in Hungary (Edit Somlyódy-Pfeil, Széchenyi István University, Hungary).- Part 2. Metropolitan and Intermunicipal Governance Challenges.- Chapter 6. Interrogating the Metropolitan Question Beyond the Institutional Interpretation. Three Research Directions (Simonetta Armondi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy).- Chapter 7. Metropolitan Governance in Post-Socialism: Searching for a Theoretical Model (Lukasz Mikula, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland).- Chapter 8. Institution of Urban Agglomeration of Zagreb as a Tool for Sustainable Management of Spatial Development (Jadranka Veselic Bruvo, City Bureau for Physical Planning, City of Zagreb, Croatia).- Chapter 9. Collaborative Governance Under Siege: The Uncertain Prospects for Inter-Municipal Associations ('Mancomunidades') in Spain (Tony Gore, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom).- Chapter 10. The 2016-2018 Milanese Metropolitan Strategic Plan: Features and Limits of an Innovative Tool Within the Local Planning Framework (Renzo Riboldazzi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy).- Chapter 11. Demographical and Economic Challenges for Largest Cities Local Governments in Hungary (Zoltán Hajdú, Institute for Regional Studies of Hungary Academy of Science, Hungary).- Part 3. Key Areas in the New Urban Agenda: Citizen Participation, Sustainable Development, Climate Change, Cultural Heritage, Smart Mobility.- Chapter 12. Problems and Determinants of Social Participation in the Creation of Public Space (Mariusz Sienkiewicz, Marie Curie Sklodowska University, Poland).- Chapter 13. Can Citizens' Committees Play a Role in Urban Governance? Theoretic Remarks and Local Practices in the Context of the City of Rome (Maria Cristina Antonucci, National Research Council of Italy, Italy).- Chapter 14. Sidelining Sustainable Development: Structural Constraints on the Implementation of Local Sustainable Development Policies in the UK (Alan Patterson, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom).- Chapter 15. The Idea of Slow City as a Way to Sustainable Development. Perspective of Small Towns in Poland (Urszula Kaczmarek, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland).- Chapter 16. Reflections of Cittaslow in Turkey and the Roles of Local Government (Füsun Baykal, Ege University, Turkey).- Chapter 17. Factors Explaining Polish Local Governments' Preferences and Activities Concerning Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (Pawel Swianiewicz, University of Warsaw, Poland).- Chapter 18. The Reinforcement of the Role of the City Council as an Important Direct Democratic Stakeholder at the Municipality of Tirana (Albania) for the Implementation of the Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan Measures at the Territory of the City (Romeo Hanxhari, University of Tirana, Albania).- Chapter 19. Tackling Sustainability, Conservation and Growth: World Heritage Sites in a Global City (Eda Yucesoy, Istanbul Sehir University, Turkey).- Chapter 20. Governance of Cultural Heritage: The Territorial Quality Indicators Between Prevention and New Programming Perspectives (Valentina Castronuovo, University of Salento, Italy).- Chapter 21. Local Strategies of Urban Regeneration. The Case of Novara (Raffaella Afferni, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Italy).- Chapter 22. Adaptive Reuse Assessment of Architectural Heritage by Means of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods (Raffaella Afferni, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Italy).- Chapter 23. The Role of Local Government and the Changes Experienced During and After Bergama's (Izmir/Turkey) Process of UNESCO Membership (Emre Ataberk, Ege University, Turkey).- Chapter 24. Sustainable Urban Mobility and Local Governance Practices. The Case of Cycling in the Italian Cities (Donatella Privitera, University of Catania, Italy).- Chapter 25. Smart Mobility and Sustainable Tourism in Urban Areas: Two Case of Study in South of Italy (Gabriella Trombino, University of Trento, Italy).