Local Government and Urban Governance in Europe (The Urban Book Series)

"This book discusses innovative responses and reforms developed in critical areas of urban governance in European countries. It examines the impact of European Union's policies on the urban agenda and on local governance, and the impact of the transition to democracy in Central and in Southern Europe on local self-government systems. The book is divided into three parts: i) Crisis, Reform and Innovation in Local Government; ii) EU Policies, the Urban Agenda and Local Governance; and iii) Citizen Participation in Local Government. Providing an extensive and updated overview of key challenges in the governance of cities in Europe, the book will be of interest to students and researchers in the broader field of urban studies, and for policy-makers, especially those engaged in urban governance in European countries."_Contracub Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-5 Front Matter....Pages 7-7 Political and Administrative Decentralization in Portugal: Four Decades of Democratic Local Government....Pages 9-32 Why and When Countries Implement Local Public Administration Reforms: A Long-Term View of Reform Dynamics in Slovakia, 1990–2015....Pages 33-70 Local Self-Government in Hungary: The Impact of Crisis....Pages 71-87 Local Government Innovation in Italy and its Impact on Urban and Regional Planning with a Focus on the Milanese Context....Pages 89-109 Front Matter....Pages 111-111 Urban Dimension of the European Policies and the New EU Urban Agenda in Croatia....Pages 113-132 The Relationship Between the European Commission and Local Government Through European Urban Initiatives: Constraints and Solidarities....Pages 133-148 Mega-Events and New Patterns of Cooperation: The European Capitals of Culture....Pages 149-170 Urban Regeneration and Local Governance in Italy: Three Emblematic Cases....Pages 171-192 Involving Citizens in the Reuse and Regeneration of Urban Peripheral Spaces....Pages 193-206 Front Matter....Pages 207-207 Assessment of Socio-Economic Status Relevance for Latvian Electoral Participation....Pages 209-232 Making Informed Citizens in Local Direct Democracy. What Part Does Their Government Perform?....Pages 233-259 Back Matter....Pages 261-265