Innovating local governance: democracy from below

Abstract

While participatory governance, co-production, and the engagement of citizens at the local level have a long history in political studies, recent scholarship has rather devoted efforts to the assessment of national and supranational deliberative processes. Nevertheless, citizens' engagement remains a key factor for local and urban governance. This panel explores the dynamics of local participatory governance, and presents inquiries into ongoing and emergent issues. In particular, the panel explores the complex relationships between decentralization and central governments, (technocratic-led) policymaking and the social articulation of local needs, and the tension between social mobilization, societal resilience, and cooptation. These issues are addressed with regard to a range of relevant problems for local governments and communities, including environmental challenges and crisis management, the inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups, and the recreation of urban spaces and mobility in response to changing patterns of living and making use of cities.

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