Informal Collaborative Network: A Case Study of Meinung, Taiwan

Abstract

Since 1994, collaborative planning has gradually become more commonplace in Taiwan following the introduction of bottom-up policies for community development. Collaborative planning is a possible way for a city region to achieve sustainability. Thus far, however, few studies have examined regional decision making in Taiwan that involves collaborative planning with local voluntary organizations. Without such local involvement, planning efforts for a city region may give rise to conflicts between core and peripheral areas. To fill this gap in the research, this chapter investigates a case of local voluntary organizations that were able to establish an informal collaborative network, which was able to achieve governance at the city-regional level. This chapter describes the processes and issues relating to informal collaborative networks in Meinung, a city region in southern Taiwan. This study reveals that adaptation and flexibility are necessary for the formation, consolidation, multifunctional character, and development of an informal collaborative network.