Urban Regime Theory

Abstract

Urban regime theory has been the leading concept within urban politics for analyzing coalition‐based politics in large US cities. Urban regimes have been studied in numerous settings in the USA and beyond, with a specific focus on the informal relationships between public and private actors that allow city governments to develop and act on a policy agenda. In the early 2010s, the regime approach remained a central feature of the urban politics literature; however, many debates were underway on how to move beyond urban regime theory. These discussions about “next steps” in theory‐building have focused on the ways in which the validity of regime theory has been affected by changes in the global economy, transitions in intergovernmental relations, and scholarly critiques of the theory.

“Power to” for High Street Sustainable Development: Emerging Efforts in Warsaw, Poland

“…To understand where the true capacity for high street sustainable development lies, this paper examines the interdependent dynamics between structural urban conditions and multiple individual actions through the lens of Urban Regime Theory [36][37][38][39][40][41]. This perspective makes it possible to see high street development and operation as being socially produced and to seek action-oriented solutions based on collective effort, rather than expecting any authoritative "power over" [36] or individual "creative force" [42] to revive high streets on their own.…”

“…[24][25], as it seems to be the case with today's high street and treating them as laboratories for urban sustainability. Widespread use of Urban Regime Theory since the 1980s has made it a central concept in urban governance studies to this day, not only regarding U.S. cities but also enabling local and cross-national comparisons [41]. As the theory conceptualizes both formal and informal arrangements and encompasses both business and political endeavors [36,41], it is well-fitted to examine the developments of modern high streets.…”

“…Widespread use of Urban Regime Theory since the 1980s has made it a central concept in urban governance studies to this day, not only regarding U.S. cities but also enabling local and cross-national comparisons [41]. As the theory conceptualizes both formal and informal arrangements and encompasses both business and political endeavors [36,41], it is well-fitted to examine the developments of modern high streets. The concept has already been used to describe the reality of Polish urban development after the transition to a market economy in the 1990s [40] and to analyze the conditions of Polish shopping malls and high streets, in particular [43].…”

Politicians’ Personal Legacies from Olympic Bids and Referenda—An Analysis of Individual Risks and Opportunities

“…This is in line with the general ideas of and recent discussion concerning urban regime theory. The theory basically describes how informal arrangements and formal relationships between actors in society and the business world on the one hand and in politics on the other contribute to the governance of a city (Mossberger and Stoker 2001;Smith 2019). However, 'a longstanding pattern of cooperation rather than a temporary coalition' (Mossberger and Stoker 2001, p. 829) is a key component of urban regimes.…”

“…Nevertheless, it should be considered that Smith (2019) observed that the structure of urban regimes is influenced by and has to adapt to globalization and its impact on how and with whom politicians cooperate and connect on the regional level. This leads to the assumption that the opportunity to enhance a personal network by getting involved in an Olympic endeavor would be especially attractive for ambitious officeholders interested in widening their sphere of influence.…”