The Quality of Territorial Policies in Europe’s Periphery: Urban Regeneration and Environmental Protection (Urban and Landscape Perspectives, 22)

This book focuses on territorial policies as instruments for local development in Europe’s periphery. Using a multiple-case research design in three typical case studies in the context of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia (Italy), we empirically test the hypothesis that the institutionalisation of the governance system is an independent variable that is capable of influencing the quality of public policy, intended as a dependent variable. According to this hypothesis, the two above-mentioned variables tend to change according to a linear and direct correlation: upward variation of the degree of institutionalisation of the governance system tends to correspond to upward variation in the quality of the policy, and vice versa. In our conclusions, we discuss the descriptive and prescriptive implications of the empirical findings of the research for the local development of peripheral areas. Regarding the descriptive implications, we explain how territorial policy-making can be articulated, based on the degree of institutionalisation of the governance system and the quality of the territorial policies. Regarding the prescriptive implications, we identify the best practices for territorial governance in order to improve the chances of local development in Europe’s periphery. Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Conceptualising the Nexus Between Territorial Policies and Local Development in Europe ́s Periphery 1.1 The Concept of Periphery and How It Can Be Analysed 1.2 Why Mediterranean Islands Can Be Considered Europe ́s Periphery 1.3 Territorial Policies and How They Can Be Classified 1.4 Territorial Policies and Local Development in Europe ́s Periphery: An Assessment of the Italian Case 1.4.1 The Italian Political and Administrative Structure 1.4.2 Evaluation Studies of Territorial Policies and Local Development in Italy ́s Periphery 1.5 Territorial Policies as Instruments for the Local Development of Peripheral Areas: Preliminary Research Questions 1.6 Outline of the Book References Chapter 2: Analysing the Quality of Territorial Policies in Europe ́s Periphery: The Theoretical and Methodological Framework 2.1 Theoretical Issues 2.1.1 Definition of the Quality of Public Policies and How It Can Be Analysed 2.1.2 Institutionalisation as an Independent Variable for Descriptive and Prescriptive Explanations of the Quality of Public P... 2.1.3 Politics-Oriented Perspectives 2.1.4 Policy-Oriented Perspectives 2.2 Looking for a Unified Policy-Oriented Theoretical Framework 2.2.1 The Relations Among the Institutionalisation of the Governance System and the Quality of Territorial Policies 2.2.2 The Unified Policy-Oriented Theoretical Framework 2.3 Methodological Issues 2.3.1 The Island of Sardinia as the Territorial Context of the Research: A Demographic and Socio-economic Profile 2.3.2 The Multiple-Case Research Design 2.3.2.1 Planning, Regulation of Use and Transformation of the Territory as Territorial Policy 2.3.2.2 Urban Regeneration and Environmental Protection as Policy Areas 2.3.2.3 Three Typical Cases as Case Studies 2.3.3 Semi-structured Interviews as a Qualitative Method of Analysis References Chapter 3: Institutionalisation of the Governance System and the Quality of Urban Regeneration Policies in Sardinia 3.1 Urban Policies and Urban Regeneration Policies 3.2 Urban Regeneration Policies in Italy: Players, Objectives, Resources and Tools 3.3 Urban Regeneration Policies in Sardinia: Regional Planning Tools 3.4 Analysis of Two Typical Case Studies 3.4.1 The Typical Case Study of Sassari (1995-2006) 3.4.1.1 The Institutionalisation of the Governance System Degree of Functional Specialisation and Interdependence Maps Among the Players of the Dominant Coalition Degree of Congruence of Cognitive Maps Within the Dominant Coalition Degree of Structuring and Impermeability of Gatekeeping 3.4.1.2 The Quality of the Urban Regeneration Policy Degree of Responsiveness Degree of Cooperation Degree of Functional Congruence 3.4.2 The Typical Case Study of Alghero (1995-2006) 3.4.2.1 The Institutionalisation of the Governance System Degree of Functional Specialisation and Interdependence Maps Among the Players of the Dominant Coalition Degree of Congruence of Cognitive Maps Within the Dominant Coalition Degree of Structuring and Impermeability of Gatekeeping 3.4.2.2 The Quality of the Urban Regeneration Policy Degree of Responsiveness Degree of Cooperation Degree of Functional Congruence 3.5 Overall Evaluations of the Typical Case Studies 3.5.1 Evaluation of the Institutionalisation of the Governance Systems 3.5.2 Evaluation of the Quality of Urban Regeneration Policies References Chapter 4: Institutionalisation of the Governance System and the Quality of Environmental Protection Policy in Sardinia 4.1 Environmental Policies and Environmental Protection Policies 4.2 Environmental Protection Policies in Italy: Actors, Objectives, Resources and Tools 4.3 Environmental Protection Policies in Sardinia: Regional Planning Tools 4.4 Analysis of One Typical Case Study 4.4.1 The Typical Case Study of Sinis Peninsula - Mal di Ventre Island MPA (1993-2004) 4.4.1.1 The Institutionalisation of the Governance System Degree of Functional Specialisation and Interdependence Maps Among the Actors of the Dominant Coalition Degree of Congruence of Cognitive Maps Within the Dominant Coalition Degree of Structuring and Impermeability of Gatekeeping 4.4.1.2 The Quality of the Environmental Protection Policy Degree of Responsiveness Degree of Cooperation Degree of Functional Congruence 4.5 Overall Evaluations of the Typical Case Study 4.5.1 Evaluation of the Institutionalisation of the Governance System 4.5.2 Evaluation of the Quality of Environmental Protection Policy References Chapter 5: The Quality of Territorial Policies in Europe ́s Periphery: Lessons from Three Typical Case Studies in Sardinia 5.1 Empirical Findings and Theoretical Implications of the Research 5.2 Limitations of the Work and Future Research Agenda 5.3 Best Practices for Improving the Quality of Territorial Policies in Europe ́s Periphery References Appendix Group A: Mayors (Sindaci) of the Municipalities of Alghero, Cabras and Sassari Group B: City Councillors (Assessori delle giunte comunali) of the Municipalities of Alghero, Cabras and Sassari Group C: Members of the Local Councils (Consiglieri comunali) of the Municipalities of Alghero and Sassari Group D: Executive Officers (Dirigenti) and Officers (Funzionari) of the Municipalities and Soprintendenzas of Alghero and Sas... Group E: Representatives of Stakeholders, Trade Unions and Environmental Associations (in Alphabetical Order) Index