The question of competition and complementarity between regions and metropolitan areas is one that has arisen with renewed urgency over the last two decades within a dual context of globalization and decentralization. Since 2008, this process has experienced significant fluctuations as a result of the global financial crisis which has made it necessary to rethink the methods and structures of local and regional government in the face of the harsh reality of public deficits and a need to make savings through economies of scale. The objective of this volume is to help stimulate this debate, on the one hand by comparing and contrasting the territorial and public-policy viewpoints, and on the other by focusing on France and Italy, which are interesting from a comparative perspective due to the similarities between the legislative developments currently under way in the two countries.