This encyclopedia examines ten critical issues that face cities across the globe today - environmental and societal struggles that affect daily lives of city dwellers. Readers will gain a better understanding of our global neighbors and will be able to use this book to compare and contrast different approaches to critical issues in our world. Volume One examines employment and jobs; energy and sustainability; green spaces; housing and infrastructure; and migration and demographic changes. Volume Two discusses pollution; schools; traffic and transportation; violence, corruption, and organized crime; and waste management. The title provides an overview of each issue from a global perspective, followed by ten alphabetically arranged profiles of world cities that are struggling with the issue and cities that have found innovative solutions. They explain how the problem came to be; consequences inhabitants face; and failed and successful initiatives taken by city management.