The changing governance of rural development: State‐community interaction in Northern Ireland

Astract

This paper examines the emergence and maturing of community‐led rural development in Northern Ireland during the 1990s and considers the relationships between state and community that are associated with policy making and implementation. The analysis points to a changing policy arena marked by the entry of new stakeholders into the sphere of rural development. This has required a set of tactical responses from core institutions, at a time when these bodies are faced with additional challenges. The discussion seeks to draw out some significant implications for broader debates on the changing governance of rural development.