Sometimes local authorities and their partners, politicians and lobbyists become so engrossed in the complex web of local and national frameworks in which they operate, they forget to look beyond country borders for inspiration.

But when they do, it becomes apparent that their counterparts all over the world, by and large, are facing a very similar set of problems. While local government in no country has the answers to every issue, collectively, there is a swathe of best practice and learning that councils the world over could benefit from.