The decline and rise of neighbourhoods: the importance of neighbourhood governance

There is a substantial literature on the explanation of neighbourhood change. Most of this literature concentrates on identifying factors and developments behind processes of decline. This paper reviews the literature, focusing on the identification of patterns of neighbourhood change, and argues that the concept of neighbourhood governance is a missing link in attempts to explain these patterns. Including neighbourhood governance in the explanations of neighbourhood change and decline will produce better explanatory models and, finally, a better view about what is actually steering neighbourhood change

Impacts of local government reforms in Greece: An interim assessment

Successive waves of local government reforms (territorial and functional) in Greece have depended on factors highlighted in this paper, which focuses on 'institutional evaluation' and the achievement or failure of institutional change. Furthermore, 'performance evaluation' of institutional change is also attempted, based on dimensions/ indicators concerning output legitimacy, coordination/steering and input legitimacy. The paper consists of three parts. The first part deals with decentralisation reform during the period 1981-1995, when the need to transfer competence to local government and broaden the latter's legitimacy predominated. The second part concerns the evaluation of territorial reform orientation and its shift towards efficiency priorities within the framework of Europeanisation (1996-2000). The third part considers the strategic priorities of the current third wave of reform. Finally, a comparative evaluation and conclusions are formulated. During the first wave of local government reform (1981-1995), input legitimacy proved to be particularly strong. On the other hand, coordination and steering proved to be particularly weak, while output legitimacy, especially concerning efficiency, was not a major priority. In comparison with the previous reform, the second wave (1996-2000) scores much better in terms of output legitimacy and coordination/steering, while input legitimacy became weaker. The scope and strategic priorities of the current reform procedure seem intended to tackle deficiencies left over from previous reforms. Worth mentioning are the major reform concerns with efficiency, coordination, transparency, control and accountability deficits. However, the final outcome is still open to conjecture, given the current acute fiscal crisis and the question of consensus building. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Incomplete Greek Territorial Consolidation: From the First (1998) to the Second (2008-09) Wave of Reforms

The modern Greek state has been consolidated through the imposition of centralism and the abandonment of the former autonomist tradition which characterised the kind of fragmented society that was typical of the many countries that experienced Ottoman rule. Like other Southern European states, Greece experienced periods of civil war, authoritarian state practices, and dictatorship, before the establishment of a stabilised Third Republic in 1974. By the beginning of the 1980s, an overwhelming majority believed that public administration would become friendlier to citizens if many responsibilities were delegated to the municipalities. Socialist governments (1981-1989) undertook several decentralisation reforms, but were hesitant to promote obligatory amalgamations. The need for efficiency was the main argument for the Capodistrias Plan of amalgamations (1997) that were intended to restructure the first tier and create new, stronger municipalities. The majority of public opinion and political personnel seemed to approve the option of territorial reforms. By 2007, former opponents of the reform, namely the conservative leaders, initiated a debate on a second wave of amalgamations, thus implicitly acknowledging the success of territorial reform or at least the positive dynamics of a transformation that had to be completed. Dominant reasons which motivated amalgamations during the 1990s were Europeanisation combined with efficiency prerogatives. Territorial consolidation responded, furthermore, to emerging needs for complying with new articulations of entrepreneurial and sectoral interests. Nowadays, re-scaling is obviously combined to managerialist approaches that demand the creation of fewer and bigger structures that are expected to be more efficient and less costly. © 2010 Taylor & Francis