EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network

Getting it Together

Introduction

The research focuses on innovative practices, which are viewed in the context of cooperative ambitions and institutional settings.

Description

This paper presents the results of a research into urban-regional cooperation in the Netherlands. It broadens and deepens the insight into appealing and innovative institutions for cooperation between local and regional authorities.

Taking the province of North-Brabant as a starting-point three cases of local/regional cooperation are selected for closer inspection. The research focuses on innovative practices, which are viewed in the context of cooperative ambitions and institutional settings.

Conclusions

The prospects for cooperation and governmental steering between cities and regions:

Loose forms of cooperation may enable more flexible ways of tackling problems that cross local boundaries.
Using existing structures as a kind of Lego set, variously shaped new cooperative structures can be built as and when required, be taken apart when no longer needed. In each of these cooperative constructions, the Lego pieces keep their individual identity and autonomy intact.
The province cannot force local authorities to think or act together, but it can fulfil an important connective role in such constructions.
Informal cooperative associations are better suited for this than new formal tiers of administration due to the speed at which social problems appear.
The three cases studied for this report are all examples of modern network steering. They display the practice of what one might call 'scale switching'.
The greatest risk of this modern network steering, is that it makes democratic control more difficult. A network cannot be called to account on anything.

Contact info

Tilburg University
V.P. Stipdonk, tel. +31 13 4662128

Publication date

05/08/2003

Researcher

Stipdonk, V.P., Dr. Hendriks, F. & Prof. Dr. Tops, P.W.

Links

Tilburg University

Getting It Together (PDF, Eng, 260 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Keywords

Capacity building