The International Metropolis Project was set up in 1995 on the initiative of the Canadian government to further collaboration between countries and international organisations on immigration issues, particularly from the vantage point of applied academic research. The Metropolis partnership now comprises twenty countries and six international organisations representing a wide range of policy and academic interests.

The idea underlying the Metropolis project is that the members will work collaboratively on issues of immigration and integration, with the goal of strengthening policy and thereby allowing societies to better manage the challenges and opportunities that immigration presents, especially to their cities. Ideally, this work involves teams made up of both researchers and policy-makers. Metropolis seeks to encourage joint initiatives between these two groups to: identify and articulate issues and problems for policy and research work; develop appropriate data; conduct international comparative work; exchange and analyse experiences amongst the partnership regarding the effects of immigration, especially within our cities; explore the effects of government and non-goverment interventions, especially those designed to facilitate immigrant integration; and exchange and analyse information about effective practices where these have been identified and explained on the basis of rigorous empirical research.

The vehicles for the Metropolis Project’s work are conferences and seminars, organisational meetings, international comparative research projects, and the establishment of an internet website.

The Project is managed by a Steering Committee on which all contributing partners are represented; a Management Board of major contributors, either of services or financial support; a Research Board which represent both the policy and research communities; a Website Committee which oversees the management of the international Metropolis website; and a Conference Committee who conduct the planning for the annual conferences. Supporting each of these functions is an International Secretariat whose capacity has recently expanded from the addition of a European arm, so that offices are now operational in both Ottawa and Milan.

Further information on the International Metropolis Project is available from the Ottawa office on: