How inter-departmental collaboration shapes urban governance remains insufficiently explored. This article contributes to the scholarship by proposing a three-dimensional analytic framework: leadership, institution, and mechanism. Using this, the article conducts a comparative analysis of citizen service hotlines, one of the most vital projects, in Beijing and New York City (NYC). Beijing adopts a vertical mode characterized by a centralized and administrative-oriented leadership, comprehensive institutions, and cross-level cooperation. In contrast, NYC follows a horizontal mode marked by a technology-oriented leadership, fragmented institutions, and contractual cooperation. These modes of collaboration help explain variations in the performance of urban governance across the two cities.

Yan Yu, Zheng Yating, Meng Tianguang. Vertical and Horizontal Modes of Collaboration in Urban Governance: A Comparative Analysis of Citizen Service Hotline in Beijing and New York City [J]. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Dec 2025, DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2025.2596830.