The course will examine the techniques available to cities to implement large-scale transformational initiatives, including financing techniques, organizational innovation, and political/community direction. It will examine the effectiveness of different strategies for advancing global city standing. It will explore what is the appropriate balance between investing in people and investing in projects and between local interests and the interests of the global city. It will look at the different political, economic, and cultural treatment of global cities by the nation states in which they are located. The course is intended to be primarily based in the practice of large-scale city building on how cities plan and implement large-scale transformational projects in real time. Examples will be taken from numerous world cities but with a focus on their relevance to Toronto.