The central premise of the book, as well as the key lesson for readers is that infrastructure is the backbone of democracy. Without it, the process of collective governance fades beyond the immediacy of daily life. Using this premise, the book describes several case studies from Southeast Asia - rapidly urbanizing communities in Gresik, Indonesia; Can Tho, Vietnam; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Ha Noi, Vietnam - that illustrate the embeddedness of highly localized governance structures in the built infrastructure. These four case studies illustrating similar community phenomena across differing social, political, and cultural contexts will encourage readers to consider the material, built environment stakes underlying participatory democracy as well as the importance of democratic participation in the visioning, building, and management of large-scale urban projects.