Much of the scholarly and professional literature on development focuses either on the 'macro' level of national policies and politics or on the 'micro' level of devel- ment projects and household or community socio-economic dynamics. By contrast, this collection pitches itself at the 'meso' level with a comparative exploration of the ways in which local institutions - municipalities, local governments, city authorities, civil society networks and others - have demanded, and taken on, a greater role in planning and managing development in the Latin American region. The book's rich empirical...