Dublin Core
Titre
City-to-city co-operation and the realisation of urban sustainability
Sujet
city-to-city co-operation, local authorities, urban policy, sustainable development, governance
Description
This thesis examines the extent and the nature of city-to-city co-operation (CTCC) for sustainable development among UK local authorities. Policy-makers and analysts believe that various forms of local authority co-operation, here termed CTCC, will enable local authorities to effectively deliver local sustainable development objectives. To date, little attention has been given as to why and how such governing processes take place or to the realities of their outcomes. The thesis informs academic debates on governance. It argues that the 'hollowing out' (Rhodes, 1997, p. 138) and changing role of the state (MacLeod and Goodwin, 1999) have allowed for the emergence and diffusion of self-organizational networks. This shift in the nature of governance has created the political opportunity for CTCC. The thesis draws on the policy networks (Marsh and Rhodes, 1992) and governance networks (Marcussen and Torfing, 2003) literature to consider how key characteristics in governing through networks - resources, fact-to-face interaction, and inter-personal relationships and trust - are relevant to CTCC. In turn, the thesis argues that hierarchy and meta-governance, often neglected in discussions of self-organising networks, have important roles in shaping governing processes. The thesis has developed a three-fold typology for understanding the nature and implications of CTCC.
Three main methods were employed in the research: the use of an empirical survey to 100 local authorities within the UK; semi-structured interviews, and documents analysis within the context of four UK-based local authority case studies. Two of the case studies examined the policy area of climate change adaptation; and the other two explored community planning. The findings suggest that CTCC is widespread transnationally and domestically. Links between local authority institutions can be virtual - e.g. browsing of websites, on-line policy documents, e-mails, telephoning - which is generally excluded from the governance literature, but is becoming increasingly important for policy learning as practitioners see this to be cost and time effective. Interestingly, central government considers face-to-face engagement and identified `best practice' through mandatory benchmarking practices between local authorities as key to learning. The implications for the quality of learning through virtual and physical interaction are discussed. The research is an ESRC collaborative (CASE) project with the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF).
Three main methods were employed in the research: the use of an empirical survey to 100 local authorities within the UK; semi-structured interviews, and documents analysis within the context of four UK-based local authority case studies. Two of the case studies examined the policy area of climate change adaptation; and the other two explored community planning. The findings suggest that CTCC is widespread transnationally and domestically. Links between local authority institutions can be virtual - e.g. browsing of websites, on-line policy documents, e-mails, telephoning - which is generally excluded from the governance literature, but is becoming increasingly important for policy learning as practitioners see this to be cost and time effective. Interestingly, central government considers face-to-face engagement and identified `best practice' through mandatory benchmarking practices between local authorities as key to learning. The implications for the quality of learning through virtual and physical interaction are discussed. The research is an ESRC collaborative (CASE) project with the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF).
Créateur
Bridges, James Ian
Éditeur
Durham University
Date
2008
Contributeur
Bulkeley, Harriet. Supervisor
MacLeod, Gordon. Supervisor
Langue
en
Type
Thesis
Identifiant
http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1943/
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/items/show/1124
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/archive/files/14c0c07042e48f8d58881d680b9b8854.jpg