Reconstructing Urban Regime Theory : Regulating Urban Politics in a Global Economy

Providing a robust conceptual framework, urban regime theory has - despite its cited shortcomings - gained a dominant position in the literature on local politics, in addition to its recent use in contexts outside the United States and in comparative cross-national research. Reconstructing Urban Regime Theory presents a challenging argument for the need to reconceptualize urban regime's middle level abstractions by interpreting it through the higher level abstractions of regulationist theory. The contributors propose stronger conceptual linkages between local agents and institutions, regime transformation, and the restructuring of urban space. The blend of empirical and case study provides an excellent mix of theory and practice. Introduction : Reconstructing Urban Regime Theory / Mickey Lauria -- Concrete Research, Urban Regimes, And Regulation Theory / Mark Goodwin, Joe Painter -- Spatial Structures Of Regulation And Urban Regimes / Marshall M. A. Feldman -- A Neo-gramscian Approach To The Regulation Of Urban Regimes : Accumulation Strategies, Hegemonic Projects, And Governance / Bob Jessop -- City Politics In An Era Of Globalization / Christopher Leo -- Governance, Urban Regime Analysis And The Politics Of Local Economic Development / Kevin R. Cox -- Regulation, Regime And Practice In Urban Politics / Joe Painter -- Coalition, Market And State : Postwar Development Politics In Boston / Cynthia Horan -- City Planning And The Post War Regime In Philadelphia / Robert A. Beauregard -- Cleveland, The Comeback City : The Politics Of Redevelopment And Sports Stadiums Amidst Decline / W. Dennis Keating -- Regulating Suburban Politics : Suburban-defense Transition, Institutional Capacities And Territorial Reorganization In Southern California / Andrew E. G. Jonas -- Regulating Urban Regimes : Reconstruction Or Impasse / Mickey Lauria. Edited By Mickey Lauria. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 242-257) And Indexes. Urban regime theory has gained a dominant position in the literature on local politics in the United States and its use in comparative cross-national research despite its cited shortcomings. In Reconstructing Urban Regime Theory, editor Mickey Lauria presents a challenging argument for the need to reconceptualize urban regime′s middle-level abstraction by interpreting it through the lens of the higher-level abstraction of regulationist theory. The noted contributors to this volume propose stronger conceptual linkages between local agents and institutions, regime transformation, and the restructuring of urban space. The blend of empirical and case-study chapters provide an excellent mix of theory and practice that makes Reconstructing Urban Regime Theory well suited to a broad spectrum of upper-level undergraduate courses covering urban studies, political science, sociology, and geography as well as a rich resource for academics and researchers in these fields.