The Role of Cities in International Relations

The Third-generation of Multi-level Governance?

Cities series

Agnieszka Szpak, Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Robert Gawłowski, Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Finance and Management, WSB University, Toruń, Joanna Modrzyńska, Doctor of Political Science, Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Paweł Modrzyński, Doctor of Economics, Faculty of Management, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, and Michał Dahl, PhD candidate, Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

Concerns about the position and function of nation-states in the international arena have led to a growing interest in the role of cities in international relations. This timely book advances the argument that cities are becoming active and informal actors in international law-making, indicating the emergence of a ‘third generation’ of multi-level governance.

‘Cities have increasingly captured the imagination of international scholars and practitioners. This “rise” to fame is much talked about, but the international legal practicalities often remain overlooked and in need of tangible insights. Taking us on a much welcome empirical tour between security, climate, innovation, and migration, The Role of Cities in International Relations does just that for European cities, with a timely intervention rooted in clear research material – a useful read for lawyers and legal, as much as IR, scholars alike!’
– Michele Acuto, University of Melbourne, Australia

‘Built on substantial empirical enquiry, the book represents a systematic attempt to develop a theoretical framework for understanding the role of cities in international relations, illustrated in multiple policy domains and from various disciplinary angles. It fills an important gap in the literature.’
– Alistair Cole, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong