This book investigates how the processes of European integration and globalization have fundamentally altered the role, social structure, and governance of cities within the European Union. Patrick Le Galès, a prominent sociologist and political scientist, utilizes comparative urban analysis to examine the shifting relationship between nation-states and local urban centers. He argues that cities are evolving into autonomous collective actors, developing new governance frameworks to manage the pressures of economic change, social inequality, and poverty.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of urban sociology and European political integration. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous analytical lens for students and researchers of public policy.