Since June 2005, representatives from Wayne State University and the University of Windsor have been growing a collaborative program of international environmental and public health research and education that focuses on urban health problems. The North American Public Health Institute is established in a unique setting on the border of Canada and the United States – the cities of Detroit, Michigan, USA and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Separated only by the narrow Detroit River, their shared environment and similar demographics create a natural laboratory for examining urban health problems. No other location in North America offers such an opportunity to compare the outcome of healthcare delivery systems and public health policies on urban public health in the context of two cities that have shared environmental exposures and demographic factors. The collaboration builds on the existing environmental and public health research activities at each university.