This course examines Canadian local public finance in comparative perspective — where revenue comes from and how it is spent — and discusses the implications of municipal finance for urban public policy, planning, and the provision of municipal services. The first half of the course provides a comprehensive introduction to major concepts in local public finance for students interested in urban politics, public policy, and urban development, as well as the politics of municipal budgeting and intergovernmental fiscal relations. The second half of the course builds on the first by focusing on how public finance influences the shape of urban and suburban development.