Outputs: Working Group on Local Government
NISPAcee publication:
"Metropolitan CEE: Big Cities, Capitals and City-regions in Central and Eastern Europe” (2010); edited by Gabor Soos and Markku Temmes
The focus on metropolitan areas or city-regions turned out to be important and interesting in the CEE environment. City-regions have increasing importance as engines in development of global economy. The transition countries have real challenges to join global economy on new basis of market economy instead of communistic command economy. There are many interesting examples of the models and development tools with which the CEE countries are supporting their metropolitans to catalyze national economic development but at same time one can find out serious problems in general conditions concerning structural positions of the city administration in the CEE.
Several presentations of this book tackle challenges and threats of urbanization and the national models but it is also question of general decentralization development.
The WG coordinators can summarize their findings concerning decentralization needs and challenges in the CEE:
- One of great challenges in the CEE countries in near future will be decentralization development. In fact, a long wave of decentralization obviously will dominate administrative reforms policies in these countries for a long time.
- In the CEE countries decentralization development will have a relevant role in increasing democracy in the grass root level of liberal democracy.
- In the CEE countries, the power structures and steering systems are seeking a well functioning balance between centralized coordination and decentralized self governance.
- NPM-type reforms will be also in the CEE countries useful "short ways” into more decentralized societies but this doctrine includes elements which are difficult to control and could create unexpected impacts.
- Urban development and especially metropolitan development are interesting sub-issues in general decentralization elements in unifying Europe.
- Lead agency development is an important part of administrative reform policies in the CEE countries also in the regional and local levels.
This book tries to raise the debate on many interestning issues and questions around city administration of the CEE countries. The coordinators also try to focus
on transition view which means questions and answers on development of
post-communistic societies. More information about the book find here.
Based on the contribution of LGI and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Helsinki, Finland the publication could be prepared, printed and distributed in the NISPAcee region.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Decentralisation
- Sulev Mäeltsemees: The Capital City in the Local Government System in central and eastern European and Caucasus Countries
- Kauko Aronen: Comparing Finnish and European Urban Policy
- Nino Gerkeuli: Country Report on Urban Policy in Georgia
- Sasa Drezgic: Decentralisation of the Croatian Roads sector. Should Cities take over the Roads?
Governance
- Marta Lackowska and Paweł Swianiewicz / Metropolitan Governance Discourse in Poland Germany
- Uros Pinteric: Governance in Slovenian Cities between Party Politics and new Wave of Management
- Diana – Camelia Iancu, Daniel Klimovsky, Uros Pinteric and Laurens de Graaf: Democratic Capacity "Under Construction”: The Case of Participatory Democracy in Eindhoven, Kosice, Ljubljana and Bucharest
Development
- Raymon R. Bruce, Rod Erakovich, Dusan Sipovac: International Capacity Building: A Partnership of Community – Kragujevac, Serbia; Rajasthan, India; And Sri Lanka
- Dominika Wojtowicz: Metropolis and Big Cities as "Regions' Locomotives". Analysis of Regional Development Strategies in Poland
- Irina Turgel: Russian Large Industrial Cities: Modernisation of the Economy