Network Governance Arrangements and Rural-Urban Synergy

Abstract

Increasing attention has been paid to the importance of balanced rural–urban interaction to sustainable regional development. Yet, our knowledge on the elements of network governance for such interaction is scarce. The aim of this paper is to study what kind of network governance arrangements currently exist, how they can be improved, and whether evolutionary governance paths can be identified. We analyse five existing and evolving cases of functioning rural–urban interaction in European Union (EU) member states, using a network governance framework as an analytical lens. We supplement the governance analysis with examining what kind of spatial understanding or combination of different spatial lenses the studied rural–urban governance arrangements rely on, as well as with the role of smart development in the studied cases. Our results emphasise the significance of division of power and collaborative decision-design in guaranteeing balanced and mutually beneficial interaction. Furthermore, we recommend changes in current policies in order to tap into the potential of rural–urban synergy.

On meaningful diversity: past, present and future of Wageningen rural sociology

“…Departing from the urban-rural relations perspective of interdependence underlines a relation for reciprocity that offers new perspectives for rural development investments. The ROBUST project assembled practices expressing a shared feeling of the responsibility of cities for the wellbeing of the rural regions around them (Ovaska et al 2021). Inspired also by the ideas of a wellbeing economy, ROBUST identified the fundaments of rural development and the role of rural and urban anchor institutes that collaboratively assure their continued existence while awarding the important role that rural areas play in the wellbeing and sustainable future of cities (O'Connell 2021).…”

The Butterfly Framework for the Assessment of Transitions towards a Circular and Climate Neutral Society

“…The Triple Helix innovation framework has been widely adopted by industries, universities, and governments as a concept of cooperation. The concept has been successfully applied in many innovation policies and programs on a regional level, like the 'Brainport Eindhoven' or the 'Food Valley' in The Netherlands [33][34][35].…”

Sinergias rural-urbanas: hacia un marco conceptual aplicado al área funcional de Valencia (España) / / / \ \ \ Rural-urban synergies: towards a conceptual framework applied to the functional area of Valencia (Spain)

“…Los Living Labs deben entenderse como plataformas en las que diferentes actores trabajan juntos en el desarrollo y prueba de nuevos instrumentos políticos, servicios, instrumentos de planificación y formas de organización. Pueden percibirse como una forma experimental de gobernanza (Knickel et al, 2021;Ovaska et al, 2021). En 11 Living Labs (Figura 1), 24 instituciones europeas trabajan juntos desde junio de 2017 hasta noviembre de 2021 en equipos nacionales, cada uno formado por un socio de investigación y un socio municipal, del ámbito prácticoadministrativo.…”

“…Es importante reconocer que la interacción rural-urbana no se trata solo de desarrollo y expansión urbanos, sino de sinergias equilibradas que benefician tanto a las zonas urbanas como a las rurales. En caso de que las diferencias en tamaño, recursos y capacidad sean grandes, el desarrollo de las interacciones urbano-rurales puede ser un desafío debido a la tendencia de la ciudad a dominar el desarrollo (Ovaska et al, 2021).…”

“…La participación del sector privado ha sido a menudo un desafío importante en la interacción rural-urbana. En particular, los vínculos urbano-rurales que tienen las empresas privadas son útiles para obtener sinergias (Ovaska et al, 2021).…”