Localism partnerships as informal associations: The work of the Rural Urban Synthesis Society and Lewisham Council within austerity

Abstract

This paper frames a critical evaluation of the progressive aspirations of localism partnerships by conceptualising them as informal associations. I show how the selective limitations and affordances of the Localism Act and its related policies necessitated and enabled direct, deliberative encounters, and pragmatic working between the Rural Urban Synthesis Society and its local authority, Lewisham Council. These practices allowed them to co‐produce a precedent for community‐led affordable housing development in London, as well as contribute to the growth of the sector. Informal associations are thus both means and end. They enable innovative articulations of localism and underpin a broader, ongoing project of progressive localism. They also form the conceptual basis for future research to delve more deeply and widely into analyses of localism partnerships and their relationalities to the institutions in which they are embedded. Within the vagarious and incoherent institutional landscape of austerity, informal associations invoke a local politics which embraces collaborative, direct experimentation between state agents and societal actors, working with uncertainty in planning to achieve progressive developmental and governance outcomes.

The Power Relation Among Actors within National and Local Agricultural Sector Planning in Indonesia

“…In practice, an actor has a tendency to address his personal interests, so he looks for ways to efficiently accommodate his interests though there are some hurdles faced (Teo SSK, 2020), such as the interests or domination of other actors (Vasstrim M and Normann R., 2019). Particular studies on actor relation are also available, some of which are related to trust and the aspect of fairness; actor and collaborative planning; power relation, actor and institutions, actors' interests, government and society roles, agriculture innovations dan multi actor (Kernecker M., 2021); and also collaboration of the Institutions (Carolin M and Kristina., 2018).…”

Consistency of Central and Regional Planning in the Agricultural Sectors and the Factors Affecting It in Indonesia

“…Planning, in essence, is the application of knowledge into action to influence the direction and speed of change in reaching shared objectives [1]. The success of development planning and its implementation depends on the active involvement of the public [2][3][4], feedback and criticism from the public [5,6], the parties involved [7][8][9][10], aspects of trust and justice in the substance of the plan [11], the roles of the government and the public in its various stages [12], the collaboration among institutions or parties [13][14][15], and the series of stages in the planning process itself [16]. Therefore, the drafting process of development planning in all sectors, including the national and regional agricultural sectors, must take notice of the existing political, technocratic, and participatory aspects and the top-down and bottom-up integrations [17].…”