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Discourses of Partnership and Empowerment in Contemporary British Urban Regeneration

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  • Rob Atkinson

    (School of Social and Historical Studies, University of Portsmouth, Milldam, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3AS, UK, Rob.Atkinson@port.ac.uk)

Abstract

Drawing upon the work of Bourdieu, Foucault and Fairclough, this paper focuses on the discursive construction of partnership and empowerment in the official discourse of contemporary British urban regeneration. The paper argues that partnership and empowerment are not neutral terms but are discursive constructs, the meaning assigned to these terms is thus the result of the exercise of power, which in turn has a crucial role in structuring the discursive context within which urban regeneration partnerships operate. The paper's emphasis on official discourse constructs a top-down view of the regeneration process and the community's role in that process. These issues are investigated through a narrative which focuses on a key official document, Involving Communities in Urban and Rural Regeneration, providing guidance on community participation in urban regeneration partnerships. The paper concludes that the operation of these discursive constructs in urban regeneration reinforces existing social relations.

Suggested Citation

  • Rob Atkinson, 1999. "Discourses of Partnership and Empowerment in Contemporary British Urban Regeneration," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 36(1), pages 59-72, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:36:y:1999:i:1:p:59-72
    DOI: 10.1080/0042098993736
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. I Turok, 1992. "Property-Led Urban Regeneration: Panacea or Placebo?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 24(3), pages 361-379, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benoit Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "Les services dans les réseaux d'innovation et les réseaux d'innovation dans les services : des réseaux d'innovation traditionnels (RIT) aux réseaux d'innovation de service public (RISP)," Working Papers halshs-01934289, HAL.
    2. RUTH McALISTER, 2010. "Putting the ‘Community’ into Community Planning: Assessing Community Inclusion in Northern Ireland," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 533-547, September.
    3. Benoît Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "Public Service Innovation Networks (PSINs): Collaborating for Innovation and Value Creation," Working Papers halshs-01934275, HAL.
    4. Mohan, Gretta & Longo, Alberto & Kee, Frank, 2018. "The effect of area based urban regeneration policies on fuel poverty: Evidence from a natural experiment in Northern Ireland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 609-618.
    5. Rob Atkinson & Thomas Dörfler & Eberhard Rothfuß, 2018. "Self-Organisation and the Co-Production of Governance: The Challenge of Local Responses to Climate Change," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 169-179.
    6. Benoît Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "Les réseaux d'innovation de service public (RISP) : un instrument d'innovation collaborative et de co-création de valeur dans le(s) service(s) public(s)," Working Papers halshs-01934290, HAL.
    7. Jesse Heley & Kate Moles, 2012. "Partnership working in regions: Reflections on local government collaboration in Wales," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(2), pages 139-153, June.
    8. Benoît Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "Services in innovation networks and innovation networks in services: from traditional innovation networks (TINs) to public service innovation networks (PSINs)," Post-Print halshs-01934282, HAL.
    9. Benoît Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "Public service innovation networks (PSINs): an instrument for collaborative innovation and value co-creation in public service(s)," Working Papers halshs-01934284, HAL.
    10. Marie-Hélène Bacqué & Carole Biewener, 2013. "Different Manifestations of the Concept of Empowerment: The Politics of Urban Renewal in the United States and the United Kingdom," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 2198-2213, November.

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