Hong Kong, London and New York are three of the world’s great cities. Each is a major financial and metropolitan centre, a key regional hub, and a global icon. “Linked by a shared economic culture, New York City, London and Hong Kong are exemplars and explanations of globalization” declared Time magazine’s 28 January 2008 cover story on Ny-lon-kong. At the same time, these three world cities face common governance challenges. This global research initiative, scheduled over four years in the first instance, seeks to explore those challenges comparatively across the three cities and their regional hinterlands.