Leading Cities is aglobal review of the state of city leadership and urban governance today.Drawing on research into 202 cities in 100 countries, the book provides abroad, international evidence base grounded in the experiences of all types ofcities. It offers an evidence-based and practical assessment of how cities areled, what challenges their leaders face, and the ways in which cities areincreasingly connected to global affairs. Arguing that effectiveleadership is not just something created by an individual, Elizabeth Rapoport,Michele Acuto and Leonora Grcheva focus on three elements of city leadership: leaders,the structures and institutions that underpin them, and the tools used to drivechange. Each of these elements are examined in turn, as are the major policyissues that leaders confront today on the ground. The book also takes a deepdive into one particular example of tool or instrument of city leadership – thestrategic urban plan.LeadingCities provides a much-neededoverview and introduction to the theory and practice of city leadership, and astarting point for future research on, and evaluation of, city leadership andgovernance practices around the world.