Montral - Annick Germain

Part of the World Cities series, Montreal provides a guide to thebirth, growth and contemporary life of this unique North Americanmetropolis. The authors address some of the fundamental paradoxesat the core of the city's dilemma: How does the city reconcile itsidentity as a French window on North America and a bilingual,increasingly multicultural metropolis? How can its economy,currently undergoing a successful transformation into a high-techhotbed, still suffer from high unemployment? How can a city that isseemingly allergic to urban planning, that has such a long and coldwinter and that remains divided between two cultural and linguisticmajorities be so frequently ranked one of the world's most livablecities?
The portrait that the authors strive to paint of this intriguingcity, caught in the maelstrom of political debate that permeatesmost of its urban issues, is both wide-ranging and fine-grained. Atthe heart of this debate lies the "National Question", addressingQuebec's place in relation to the Canadian federation. Building ona vast array of recent research, the authors, themselves a teamthat reflects the bilingual, bicultural character of Montreal,explore the twists and turns of Montreal's ever-changing identity.