Participation and urban policy-making in a network society – a theoretical outline on new urban governance

Abstract

Society takes place in cities and shapes them. The “city” is commonly attributed with certain objectified qualities, daily prac- tices, perceptions and symbolic readings and is strongly linked to institutional arrangements. As various transformation forces and processes can be observed in contemporary cities, the ques- tion arises: what instruments and possibilities can be identified for steering urban structures and development by means of urban pol- icy? The current shift away from a top-down oriented city admin- istration and planning towards the participatory governance suggests that cities are facing new challenges and requirements that are closely associated with a political dimension. The possi- bilities of influencing and steering urban development by urban planning and policy and participation as one element of those con- trol options will be discussed in this paper. In order to understand the role and scope of new urban governance the societal context that frames contemporary cities will be outlined. Starting from the characteristics of new urban governance modes it will be dis- cussed why governance and participation can be understood as reaction to the network society and its challenges of the estab- lished nation-state based democracy, traditional power relations and legitimation of political processes and institutions.