Course Title: Urban governance in transition: debates and practices
Dates: 28/08/2006-01/09/2006
Professor: Hans Thor Andersen (Copenhagen University, Denmark)
Course Summary: Governance has become a key concept in relation to modern understanding of politics; nowhere is this more visible than in relation to urban politics. Since the early 1990s, a fast growing literature has discussed the concept in relation to a wide range of issues. A central one is the urban ones. While governance was considered as a clearly positive, ‘new’ form of governing in the 1990s which promised rising efficiency, citizens involvement and a cooperative approach for solving specific problems in a unorthodox way. However, the ideas of governance, networks or partnerships have not managed to eliminate systemic obstructions or to provide the comprehensive engagement of citizens in an open, non-dominant and transparent way. On the other hand, governance has offered new approaches to understand urban policy.
V |
Date |
Title of Lecture |
Abstract & Readings |
1 |
28/08/2006 |
Introduction – governance as a concept |
Abstract:
Governance as a social phenomenon; the rise of governance and its use in urban relations. In the first class, governance as a concept will be discussed as a method of governing.
Readings:
Rhodes, R (1997): The New Governance: Governing without Government. p 46 – 60 in Rhodes, R. (ed): Understanding governance – policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Open University Press.
Pierre, J. and Peters, B. Guy (2000): Governance, Politics and the State. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke. p 1-7, 50 - 69.
Dunsire, A. (1993): Modes of Governance. p 21 – 34 in Kooiman, J. (ed): Modern governance. New Government – society interactions. Sage, London. 1993.
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2 |
29/08/2006 |
What is governance? |
Abstract:
Governance is a highly contested concept; thus it is necessary to carefully examine the meaning and use of the concept. The second class will focus upon social implications and understandings of steering and governing.
Readings:
Pierre, J. and Peters, B. Guy (2000): Governance, Politics and the State. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke. p 28 – 49, 75 - 93.
Hambleton, R (1998): Competition and contracting in UK Local Government. p 58 – 76 in Oatley, N (ed): Cities, Economic Competition and Urban Policy. London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
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3 |
30/08/2006 |
Governance, networks and regimes |
Abstract:
The third class will focus upon the relationship between government and governance, between governance and networks, between open and closed networks and the transparency and accountability of governance.
Readings:
Rhodes, R (1997): Policy networks in British Political Science. p 29 – 45 in Rhodes, R. (ed): Understanding governance – policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Open University Press.
Stoker, G. (1995): Regime Theory and Urban Politics. p 54 – 71 in Stoker, G, Judge, D & Wollman, H (eds): Theories of Urban Politics. London, Sage.
Stone, C. (1993): Urban Regimes and the Capacity to govern: A Political Economy Approach. Journal of Urban Affairs, vol 15:1, pp 1-28. |
4 |
31/08/2006 |
Governance and governability |
Abstract:
The fourth class aims at discussing the limits to governance and possibilities to govern complex social systems.
Readings:
Kooiman, J. (1993): Governance and governability. p 35 – 48 in Kooiman, J. (ed): Modern governance. New Government – society interactions. Sage, London. 1993.
Jørgensen, T. B. (1993): Modes of governance and administrative change. p 219 – 234 in Kooiman, J. (ed): Modern governance. New Government – society interactions. Sage, London. 1993.
Pierre, J. and Peters, B. Guy (2000): Governance, Politics and the State. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke. p 193 - 209 |
5 |
01/09/2006 |
Urban governance and partnerships in practice |
Abstract:
This class will continue the discussion from the former class, but departure from specific examples of governance.
Readings:
Andersen, H. T. (2001): The new Urban Politics of Europe: the area-based approach to regeneration policy. p 233-53 in Andersen, H. T. & van Kempen, R. (eds): Governing European Cities. Aldershot: Ahsgate.
Stewart, M (1998): Partnership, Leadership and Competition in Urban Policy. p 77 – 90 in Oatley, N (ed): Cities, Economic Competition and Urban Policy. London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
Cochrane, A. (1999): Just another failed experiment? The legacy of the Urban Development Corporations. p 246 – 258 in Imrie, R. & Thomas, H. (eds): British Urban Policy. 2edition. London, Sage. |
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