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Governing Ourselves: Citizen Participation and Governance in Barcelona and Manchester

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  • GEORGINA BLAKELEY

Abstract

Barcelona and Manchester have become paradigmatic examples of ‘governance‐beyond‐the‐state’, ‘new localism’ or ‘local state entrepreneurialism’. Whatever the label, citizen participation has become a key feature of governance in each city. This article argues that a useful way of understanding the developing relationship between governance and citizen participation is through the analytical perspective of governmentality. This perspective illuminates two paradoxes that characterize the new governance arrangements in these two European cities. The first paradox is that the power of the state is not necessarily diminished despite the emerging plurality of actors involved in governance. The second paradox lies in the fact that the spread of participatory practices as an integral element of new modes of governance does not necessarily lead to citizen empowerment. Résumé Barcelone et Manchester sont désormais des exemples paradigmatiques de ‘gouvernance au‐delà de l’État’, de ‘nouveau localisme’ ou d’‘entrepreneurialisme de l’État local’. Quelle que soit l’étiquette, la participation citoyenne est devenue un trait caractéristique de la gouvernance de chaque ville. Pour comprendre le lien qui se tisse entre gouvernance et participation citoyenne, on adoptera avec profit la perspective analytique de la gouvernementalité. En effet, celle‐ci éclaire deux paradoxes propres aux nouveaux dispositifs de gouvernance dans ces deux villes européennes: le premier paradoxe est que la puissance de l’État n’est pas forcément diminuée malgré la multiplication des acteurs impliqués dans la gouvernance; le second tient au fait que la propagation des pratiques participatives, en tant que composante des nouveaux modes de gouvernance, ne conduit pas forcément à une autonomie accrue des habitants.

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  • Georgina Blakeley, 2010. "Governing Ourselves: Citizen Participation and Governance in Barcelona and Manchester," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 130-145, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijurrs:v:34:y:2010:i:1:p:130-145
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2427.2010.00953.x
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    Cited by:

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    3. Katia Attuyer, 2015. "When Conflict Strikes: Contesting Neoliberal Urbanism outside Participatory Structures in Inner-city Dublin," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 807-823, July.
    4. Antonella Pietta & Marco Tononi, 2021. "Re-Naturing the City: Linking Urban Political Ecology and Cultural Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Hansson Stina, 2018. "The role of trust in shaping urban planning in local communities: The case of Hammarkullen, Sweden," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 40(40), pages 83-99, June.
    6. Swianiewicz Paweł, 2014. "Intra-Municipal Units in Urban Political Systems in Poland: Vicious Roundabout of Marginalization or Dead-End Street ?," NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 7(2), pages 173-198, December.
    7. Philippe Koch, 2013. "Bringing Power Back In: Collective and Distributive Forms of Power in Public Participation," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(14), pages 2976-2992, November.
    8. Marc Parés & Marc Martí-Costa & Ismael Blanco, 2014. "Geographies of governance: How place matters in urban regeneration policies," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(15), pages 3250-3267, November.
    9. Carla Huisman, 2014. "Displacement Through Participation," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(2), pages 161-174, April.
    10. Valeria Guarneros‐Meza & Mike Geddes, 2010. "Local Governance and Participation under Neoliberalism: Comparative Perspectives," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 115-129, March.
    11. Sofia Wiberg, 2022. "Planning With Art: Artistic Involvement Initiated by Public Authorities in Sweden," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(3), pages 394-404.
    12. Ying Wang & Nick Clarke, 2021. "FOUR MODES OF NEIGHBOURHOOD GOVERNANCE: The View from Nanjing, China," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(3), pages 535-554, May.
    13. Esin Özdemir & Tuna Tasan-Kok, 2019. "Planners’ role in accommodating citizen disagreement: The case of Dutch urban planning," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 56(4), pages 741-759, March.
    14. Dexin Wang & Shijun Li, 2022. "Innovation of Contemporary Chinese Urban Community Governance under the Perspective of Social Capital: Participation of Multiple Subjects Based on Community Proposals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    15. Hilary Silver & Alan Scott & Yuri Kazepov, 2010. "Participation in Urban Contention and Deliberation," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 453-477, September.
    16. Koen Bartels, 2017. "The double bind of social innovation: Relational dynamics of change and resistance in neighbourhood governance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(16), pages 3789-3805, December.
    17. Bella Dicks, 2014. "Participatory Community Regeneration: A Discussion of Risks, Accountability and Crisis in Devolved Wales," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(5), pages 959-977, April.
    18. Mike Geddes, 2010. "Building and Contesting Neoliberalism at the Local Level: Reflections on the Symposium and on Recent Experience in Bolivia," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 163-173, March.
    19. Heather M Watkins, 2017. "Beyond sweat equity: Community organising beyond the Third Way," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(9), pages 2139-2154, July.
    20. Stephan Lanz, 2016. "The Born-Again Favela: The Urban Informality of Pentecostalism in Rio de Janeiro," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 541-558, May.
    21. Zixuan Zhang & Junchen Pan & Yun Qian, 2023. "Collaborative Governance for Participatory Regeneration Practices in Old Residential Communities within the Chinese Context: Cases from Beijing," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-23, July.
    22. Suhyun Baek & Sunah Kim, 2018. "Participatory Public Service Design by Gov.3.0 Design Group," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-20, January.
    23. Martijn Koster, 2020. "An Ethnographic Perspective on Urban Planning in Brazil: Temporality, Diversity and Critical Urban Theory," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 185-199, March.
    24. Santiago Eizaguirre & Marc Pradel & Albert Terrones & Xavier Martinez-Celorrio & Marisol García, 2012. "Multilevel Governance and Social Cohesion: Bringing Back Conflict in Citizenship Practices," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(9), pages 1999-2016, July.
    25. Stephan Lanz, 2013. "Be Berlin! Governing the City through Freedom," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1305-1324, July.

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