On the side of the angels: community involvement in the governance of neighbourhood renewal.

This article draws upon the authors’ experiences of community-led regeneration developed while members of the National Evaluation Team for the NDC Programme. The article continues the focus on urban regeneration adopted in a range of outputs from two of the authors over the last decade. In assessing how the term community has been defined by policy-makers and the challenges involved in empowering communities, the output was aimed at both academic and user communities. For its direct relevance to communities involved in regeneration, the article was awarded the 2006 Sam Aaronovitch Prize, awarded annually by the journal Local Economy

Community participation in the real world: Opportunities and pitfalls in new governance spaces

The shift from government to governance in recent years has created significant new opportunities for people from disadvantaged communities to participate in the decisions that affect them. However, the weight of evidence over the years suggests that these communities have remained on the margins in partnerships and other initiatives. Governmentality theory helps to explain the ways in which state power persists even when governing is increasingly devolved; however, it also allows for the possibility of 'active subjects', who can shape and influence the new spaces into which they have been invited. This article draws on a range of evidence from the literature and from the author's own research in the UK to consider the challenges for communities of 'governing beyond the state'