This edited collection examines seminal changes and major policy challenges in metropolitan governance in Asia and the Pacific Rim that are being faced by governments (national and sub-national) and their polities. The book builds upon the work of the largest stream at the Urban Affairs Associations (UAA) Annual Conference (Urban Issues in Asia and the Pacific Rim) specifically, the chapters arose from presentations at the 2016 UAA Annual Conference in San Diego and ensuing discussions and debates.

The book is framed by three over-arching narratives:

the increased importance (economic, political and cultural) of the Asian region within strategic discussions of planetary urbanism and the problematisation of the concept of the Asian region as an element of these discussions

the challenges engendered by the rapid pace of development (again, economic, political and cultural) and the endorsement, tacit or otherwise, of developmentalism in many of the polities under consideration

the increased salience of metropolitan and urban areas, vis-à-vis other levels of governance (national; local; supra-national), particularly how it is seen as key in addressing these challenges.

Bligh Grant is Associate Professor at the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance (UTS IPPG) in Sydney, Australia. A continuing focus of his work is local government/urban studies, particularly as it pertains to Australasia and the Asia-Pacific. He is head of the Masters of Local Government program at UTS and has taught Philosophy, Politics, Sociology, Asian Studies, Political Economy and Business Management across several universities. In 2017 he was visiting fellow at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) in Guangzhou, China.
Cathy Yang Liu is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA, Unites States. She is the faculty director for the urban planning and policy concentration in bachelor, master, and PhD in public policy degree programs and the Graduate certificate in Planning and Economic Development. Her research interests lie in community and economic development, urban labor market and policy, migration and entrepreneurship, as well as international urban development. She addresses urban policy and community development issues in the context of changing urban spatial form, demographic dynamics and economic processes.
Lin Ye is Professor at the School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) in Guangzhou, China. He is the Associate Director of the MPA program and Associate Director of Center for Urban and Local Governance at SYSU. His primary research interests are in the field of urban policy and regional governance, and he provides consulting work for government agencies, social organizations, and public enterprises in China.

Introduction.- Part 1: Borders.- Part 2: Policy Challenges.- Part 3: Futures.