The course aims to qualify the students with a profound understanding of the main issues involved in the government of large metropolis, urban regions and cities in a worldwide and comparative perspective. From the examination of the principal concepts and theoretical approaches, to the analysis of specific cases, the course provides a critical as well as a constructive review of the metropolitan governance. On the one hand, the students should learn the distinction between different socio-spatial scales, local and supra-municipal institutions, global flows, social actors and coalitions, types of planning, local welfare policies and urban changes. On the other hand, both urban politics and the context of socio-spatial inequalities are studied from the standpoint of the local democracy, the empowerment of social movements and diverse political innovations in order to manage the inherent complexity of large metropolis.