Urban governance in the Realm of Complexity

Abstract

The article reflects on the development of the urban governance concept, analyses the factors influencing urban governance at the national and local level and examines how urban governance is dealing with the often recurring societal, environmental, and economic issues faced by cities nowadays. The challenge is to understand these issues, and the research presented brings out certain factors contributing to the success of improved urban governance:  the role of clear objectives and leadership; the need for a legal framework which defines the roles of the different actors; clear decision-making and appeal mechanisms; incentives and appropriate funding mechanisms; cooperation between actors and the gradual development of trust; a clear division of responsibilities. At the end of the article, ten important insights from recent studies of urban governance are presented.