We live in an urban age. From Shanghai to Johannesburg, Delhi and Rio, millions of people move to the city each year. Are we seeing the rise of a new `urban’ order? Will cities soon become the new global leaders?

In this timely and compelling book, Michele Acuto cuts through the hype to offer a cautious and nuanced view of the role of cities in international political decision-making. Cities, he contends, are already leading on many global agendas. Yet, they must also be stewards of global futures, working in coalition with other authorities to safeguard equitable and sustainable solutions to problems that will increasingly be played out in the streets of cities all over the world.