The 27" Rigida steel rims on Normandy hubs is a favorite wide-rim wheelset of mine when I find a pair with a smooth welded joint (and so smooth braking).

With the 1-1/4" Armadillos at 60psi the ride and handling is a thing to behold, if a bit sluggish, but this setup goes offroad with confidence, even if these 1-1/4" tires measure just 27mm wide on these 25mm-wide rims.

It does seem that wider rims and softer tires are the future, which brings us full circle from the old days as mtnbke did point out earlier.

I don't expect the rim diameter change to make any more difference than the difference in size between some identically size-described tires, which can be several millimeters.
But I do think the tire selection options are hugely better with the 700c size, though I still do about a third of ALL of my riding on 27" rims, including my off-roading!

I'll be putting in another 45 miles on those exact wheels/tires in the morning, chasing the "Fast Fridays" crowd.