URBANiTE · Post-crisis urban governance transformations in Southern Europe: a comparativist approach
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2017-10-02 → 2019-10-01
- EU contribution
- €158,122
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Post-crisis urban governance transformations in Southern Europe: a comparativist approach
URBANiTE (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016-747313) was a research project hosted at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), between 2017 and 2019. The research addressed the broad field of critical urban studies and focused on a comparative approach to urban governance transformations that occurred in the period following the financial crisis in the cities of Madrid and Athens. In particular, URBANiTE employed two case studies, housing and social solidarity economy and generated crucial comparative insights into the reconfigurations of urban governance in relation to contestation and the variegated socio-political processes that took place over the past decade in the Southern European cities of Madrid and Athens. The project’s main objective was to produce interdisciplinary knowledge, of high relevance for the society and policy-making and, in doing so, succeeded in bringing together contemporary theoretical debates and scientific studies on urban studies, with the discourses of policy-makers and those arising from civil society actors and social movements. Methodologically, URBANiTE developed a context-sensitive approach, which sustained vigorous insights into the local particularities of the two cities and, at the same time, produced novel comparative tools for analysing broader socio-political transformations occurring in European cities. Conclusions of the action, with significant society and policy relevance, chiefly involve the following key aspects: (i) the importance of the local level for articulations of social innovation and social cohesion, generated by civil society groups and actors, with further potential for consolidating inclusive forms of urban governance and policy-making; (ii) key limitations imposed on such potential by broader processes of urbanisation and financialisation of urban space; and (iii) the implications of the above for foregrounding enhanced forms of democratic multi-level governance in Southern European cities and beyond.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The post-crisis transformations of the socio-political landscapes in Southern Europe have shaped crucial opportunities for emergent political actors and the civil society to introduce new governance mechanisms. Following a turbulent period of social mobilizations, rapid political and institutional transformations are underway at the city, regional and national levels in countries such as Spain and Greece, and particularly in Madrid and Athens. These provide a crucial theoretical, methodological and analytical challenge for urban studies and a key opportunity for the development of a novel relational comparative approach regarding the modifications of urban governance in Madrid and Athens. The prime research aim of URBANiTE is to investigate the ongoing socio-political developments in the two cities, the relationship between civil society and emergent political actors and the ways these shape institutional changes. The project will produce context-sensitive, innovative outcomes on multi-level territorial governance, of high relevance for science, society and policy, in times of sweeping challenges in Europe and beyond. Moreover, it involves integrated interdisciplinary research with policy implications for the governance of inclusive, innovative and reflective societies, hence fully responds to challenges set out in the Horizon 2020 Societal challenges programme. The Fellowship will provide opportunity for knowledge exchange, as the fellow will bring expertise from the UK and Greece on urban politics, citizenship and grassroots social innovation in austerity contexts. It will also allow the fellow to advance her knowledge in an interdisciplinary research environment and learn from a new regional context, which will contribute to greater understandings of urban governance changes, social innovation and policy implementation in contemporary Europe. Lessons generated will be of wider relevance for EU- level urban governance, with transferable outcomes to other contexts.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID · MadridCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union