Exploring the potential benefits of city collaboration

As they emerge from extended periods of economic restructuring, many large cities are searching for innovative, more effective ways to achieve and maintain competitive advantage in the international economy. Strategic collaboration, although in the early stages of development, might offer a means for nearby cities to enhance their competitiveness and improve their position in regional and global hierarchies. This paper sets out a range of potential answers to the question 'why collaborate?' by exploring the likely benefits to be gained from such collaboration, and suggests possible ways in which the collaborative process between cities could be established and sustained.