Democratic anchorage and performance: Comparing two network approaches to land-use and transport-system development

Abstract

This paper describes two Norwegian governance networks. While both address questions about land-use and transport, the ways in which they are democratically anchored differ. Starting out from goals set for climate-friendly transport, linkages between democratic anchorage and network effectiveness are discussed. In some ways the network with the lowest stakeholder involvement, and therefore the smallest network structure, has come furthest – measures are implemented quickly and extensive resources are used to improve public transport. The other network does not have the same implementation rate or resource-use, but has shown strong efforts to mobilise and coordinate a wide set of actors. Both approaches involve important elements for reducing emissions from transport, specifically the effectiveness and toughness of one and the broader mobilisation of the other. Applying a wide set of criteria to evaluate network performance, the paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the two network structures.

Key Words:

• Network governance
• democratic anchorage
• network effectiveness
• climate-friendly transport
• evaluation criteria

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Per Gunnar Røe, Torill Nyseth, Vibeke Nenseth and Marika Kolbenstvedt for their comments on an earlier version of the paper. I also appreciate the valuable suggestions of the three anonymous reviewers.

Notes

^1. Edelenbos et al.’s analysis does not include political involvement through governmental arrangements.

^2. For city-packages, Concept Studies are typically performed by the Public Road Administration.

^3. Original names: Buskerud City (the Buskerud Network) and the Environmental Package (the Trondheim Network).

^4. Agency representing the government at the regional level.

^5. Defined by the municipalities in a network called the Trondheim Region.

^6. Informant quotations and policy document extracts have been translated from Norwegian.

^7. It is difficult to relate the result of this survey to the network activity. The last registration dates back to 2009, 1 year before the city-package started.

^8. Trips per inhabitant per year in two urban regions: (1) the municipalities of Drammen, Nedre Eiker and Lier and (2) the municipalities of Trondheim, Klæbu and Malvik.

^9. With congestion charging, a tougher pricing mechanism is used to reduce traffic.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Council of Norway [grant number 195191], for a project entitled ‘Transport and Environment – Measures and Policies’.

Notes on contributors

Anders Tønnesen

Anders Tønnesen is a human geographer and researcher at the Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo. His research focuses on environmental policymaking and climate-friendly urban development. Recently his attention has been focused on governance networks involved in land-use and transport system development.