Twelve economists, geographers, and public policy experts analyze the capacity of six metropolitan centres within the Maritime urban system to cope with the necessary restructuring of the economy due to three shocks: the information economy, reduction in public spending, and globalization of the economy. Topics include: a changing Maritime urban system, Maritime cities as part of the North American urban system, the Maritime urban system during the Great Transformation, surviving in a free trade environment, public sector adjustments, and high-tech in small towns.