ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Cities’ Nuno F. da Cruz and Philipp Rode, have published a new paper in Urban Affairs Review. The article, titled ‘Networked Urban Governance: a socio-structural analysis of transport strategies in London and New York’ is co-authored by Michael McQuarrie (Arizona State University), Nicole Badstuber (AECOM), and Enora Robin (University of Sheffield).
The article tests an interview-based social network analysis (SNA) approach with no pre-defined boundary to investigate urban governance empirically. The approach upholds the key theoretical properties of the concept of ‘governance’ by not imposing assumptions on who the powerful actors are in a particular policy sector. The research shows that – alongside other ‘forces’ such as legal frameworks, access to resources and representative politics – the composition and structure of urban governance networks may help explain differences in policy priorities and outcomes in cities.
The comparative analysis enabled the detection of different structural features in the governance networks shaping transport strategies in both cities. In London, urban transport is more centralised, where a few prestigious entities are clearly more prominent in the governance network. In New York the institutional environment is more fragmented and central actors are less obvious.
The full text is freely available and can be accessed .