On the southwest coast of South Africa, Cape Town makes headlines for its laidback lifestyle and natural beauty. But beneath the sales pitch, traces of a dark past still linger. Amid de facto segregation and violence can also be found bold attempts at unity, and a city striving to use urban projects to create democratic inclusivity.

Mexico City, the largest city in the Western hemisphere, faces challenges ranging from social and economic inequity to environmental issues to its vulnerability to earthquakes. But many still see this megalopolis as a village - or as a patchwork of many villages, each preserving its own identity, yet home to a unique urban solidarity.

For the past decade, Copenhagen has consistently ranked near the top in dozens of annual global livability surveys. Is Denmark's capital the ultimate life-sized city? Is this model scalable? Urban design expert Mikael Colville-Andersen explores his own city and meets the people working daily to make it live up to its reputation.

Once considered the bland financial capital of Italy, Milan is proving its capacity to redefine itself. An industrial past had left almost indelible scars on the urban fabric. But Expo 2015 sparked change: skyscrapers, new public and private initiatives, and innumerable urban renewal projects have since popped up on every block. Decades of open-mindedness, and of open doors to immigration, have made Milan the most multicultural hub in all of Italy.

The southwestern Ontario city of Windsor has always lived in the shadow of its big American neighbour, Detroit, only 3.6 kilometres away. People cross the border every day for work or leisure. In a matter of decades, Detroit went from one of the most prosperous U.S. cities to one of the most distressed, culminating in the municipality's bankruptcy in 2013. How has this affected Windsor, a city trying to make a name of its own in Canada?

Although Montreal could be described as half Paris, half Brooklyn - it is after all the most populated francophone city in North America - the city has an identity of its own. Made up of a peculiar mix of creative citizens, cobblestones and potholes, Montreal is not the biggest, nor the richest or boldest. But it's one of the best cities to live in, and it certainly is a happy underdog.