Created January 1, 2001, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) is a planning, coordinating and funding body serving 82 municipalities. It is home to 3.6 million residents spread over an area of 4360 square kilometres, including 2218 km² of farmland (58% of the total surface area) and 525 km² of waterways.

The CMM has jurisdiction in these following fields:

• land planning;
• economic development;
• arts and culture promotion;
• social and affordable housing;
• facilities, infrastructure, services and activities of metropolitan importance;
• public transit and metropolitan arterial road network;
• waste management planning;
• air quality;
• wastewater.

It also plays a role in protecting and enhancing the metropolitan blue and green spaces and produces information tools for use in geomatics.

To fulfill its purpose as a planning, coordinating and financing body, the CMM has four main objectives:

• Provide the Montreal metropolitan area with a common, shared vision, which will be followed by a consistent economic development plan and a metropolitan land use and development plan to make the region internationally competitive.

• Ensure harmonious, equitable development throughout the CMM’s territory while providing a quality living environment for the region’s citizens.

• Establish a truly metropolitan financing system based on diversified revenue sources to finance metropolitan activities and municipal activities in specific sectors.

• Harmonize government and regional organization policies and programs with the CMM’s activities.

Loi sur la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (An Act respecting the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal)