Stars and their Supporting Cast: State, Market and Community as Actors in Urban Governance

Abstract

In the search for better ways to govern cities there has been a shift from an emphasis on the role of ‘urban government’ to an emphasis on ‘urban governance’. Governance is now widely understood as incorporating the role of the state in policy making and implementation but extending beyond that single actor to include the roles of the private sector (market) and community (civil society). The relationships amongst the three are both complex and changing. This article proposes a conceptual framework that structures our understanding of how the actors in urban governance interact, based on relationships where one of the actors has far greater influence than the other two, in other words where one is the ‘star’ or central actor. The framework then addresses the question of the roles of the ‘supporting cast’, or the other two actors. The ‘governance orthodoxy’ is that relationships are collaborative and consensual, expressed through ideas about ‘partnerships’ and ‘networks’. The framework, however, draws attention to the possibility of conflict. The article explores some of the implications for urban governance theory and practice of these complex relationships.

Keywords:

• Urban governance
• government
• hierarchy
• market
• civil society
• community

Notes

1. My thanks to one of the anonymous referees for this insight.

2. This would be true for situations where all three players were involved. There are still government actions that are beyond the approach to governance used here, where government governs without relying on support from either markets or community. The market also often acts on its own, as does the community.