Comparative Approaches to Development Politics and the Quest for a More Robust Theory: New Institutions of Governance in Chicago and Berlin

Toward an Urban Policy Analysis: Incorporating Participation, Multilevel Governance, and “Seeing Like a City”

“…The role of business is well established in theories of urban politics (Molotch 1976; Stone 1989), and these articles address how and to what effect business takes part in urban policy processes. They also reveal—in line with research on the postindustrial city—that stable business–government coalitions are no longer found (Stone 2015) because business is either involved in the short term only (Hinze and Smith 2020) or is, in fact, not involved at all (Bramwell 2020). For example, Bramwell (2020) compares local coalitions formed to address adaptation to the digital economy.…”

“…The contributions include cases in which cities actively make policies in the absence of, complementary to, or opposed against policies at other governmental levels, such as migration (Bazurli 2020; Williamson 2020) and digitization (Bramwell 2020). They analyze more conventional urban policy fields such as housing (Donaghy 2020) and large-scale infrastructure development (Hinze and Smith 2020), with fresh insights about the contemporary moment. The contributions offer analyses of a range of geographic sites and city types, including large and midsized cities in North America, Europe, and Latin America.…”

“…Third-sector actors have emerged as key participants—even leaders—of coalitions. Bazurli (2020) and Williamson (2020) discuss the roles of social movements and nongovernmental organizations; Donaghy (2020) and Hinze and Smith (2020) consider access of neighborhood groups to decision making. However, like the business sector, third-sector actors encompass a range of organizations with varying levels of resources such that detailed analysis of which types of NGOs, foundations, and community organizations are able to participate, to sustain participation, and to have influence are important questions to examine (Clarke 2017).…”

“…By contrast, institutional designers may aim to prevent broad participation. Hinze and Smith (2020) show how institutional rules and practices repelled neighborhood resistance to large commercial and infrastructure developments in Chicago and Berlin. The creation of special authorities to guide development successfully sidelined neighborhood resistance and secured policies reflecting business interests (see also Lay and Bauman 2017; Sbragia 1996).…”

“…Ironically for an economic development policy area, she finds that the private sector is least involved in coalitions compared to government and foundations, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. Hinze and Smith (2020), conversely, find that the business sector closely coordinated with local government to sideline neighborhood opposition in large-scale redevelopment projects. Third-sector actors have emerged as key participants—even leaders—of coalitions.…”