Springer Geography Ján Buček Andrew Ryder Editors Governance in Transition Springer Geography The Springer Geography series seeks to publish a broad portfolio of scientifi c books, aiming at researchers, students, and everyone interested in geographical research. The series includes peer-reviewed monographs, edited volumes, textbooks, and conference proceedings. It covers the major topics in geography and geographical sciences including, but not limited to; Economic Geography, Landscape and Urban Planning, Urban Geography, Physical Geography and Environmental Geography. Submit a proposal: Proposals for the series will be considered by the Series Advisory Board. A book proposal form can be obtained from the Publisher, Dr. Robert K. Doe ([email protected]). More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10180 Ján Buček • Andrew Ryder Editors Governance in Transition Editors Ján Buček Andrew Ryder Department of Human Geography Department of Geography and Demography University of Portsmouth Comenius University Portsmouth , UK Bratislava , Slovakia ISSN 2194-315X ISSN 2194-3168 (electronic) Springer Geography ISBN 978-94-007-5502-4 ISBN 978-94-007-5503-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5503-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015936134 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015 This work is subject to copyright. 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Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer Science+Business Media B.V. Dordrecht is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Pref ace This book explores some of the practical issues involved in trying to decentralise government, reshape territorial administrative systems, and improve inter- governmental cooperation. There is often a profound mismatch between policy aims and policy implantation, as this book shows. The chapters were prepared within the framework of the International Geographical Union Commission on Geography and Governance. Although the contributions refl ect experience in gov- ernance and administration in countries undergoing economic and political transi- tion, this includes not only countries from Central and Eastern Europe, but countries from Western Europe, and even the Republic of Korea. As is the tradition within Commission activities, this book provides an opportunity for young scientists and doctoral students to publish together with distinguished scholars. As well, the book brings together experts from a wide variety of fi elds, including economics, geogra- phy, political science, and town planning. Many of the authors have worked in local or regional government. They also include a range of people with experience as consultants for local and national governments and international bodies. The result is a collection of papers covering a range of technical and practical, as well as theo- retical, issues in contemporary governance within different social, economic and institutional contexts. Some of them deal with the latest changes in modes of gover- nance, and evaluate introduced reforms. Others analyse longer term development in the context of historical changes. The fi rst part of the book provides seven chapters on governance and development in large cities, intergovernmental cooperation, and the construction of regional identities. It starts with Tomasz Kaczmarek ’ s chapter on top-down and bottom-up metropolitan integration in Poland. He describes progress in metropolitan area management in Poland. The rapid spread of metropolitan set- tlements through suburbanisation has created problems in managing infrastructure and the environment, and complicated the creation of regional plans and develop- ment strategies. Consequently, governments at all levels have both competed for investment and development, and tried to develop strategies for cooperation and collaboration on managing regional problems and policies. Proposals for changes in governance come from national government (proposed legislative solutions) and v vi Preface from local governments (the establishment of partnerships, associations and joint metropolitan strategies). The next two chapters focus on various aspects of global cities’ development. Andrew Ryder looks at the relationship between devolution and local development. Looking at London and Seoul, he discusses the impact of local government autonomy on development. The United Kingdom and Korea are among the most centralised countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, even with limited powers, London has succeeded in establishing a strong local agenda and successfully lobbied for new investment in transport and housing. Pat Fensham evaluates Sydney’s Metropolitan Strategy and its main principles. As in the case of Poland, he stresses the importance of intergovernmental relations in creating and implementing a strategy, including State and Federal government involvement, as well as balancing various scales of interests acting on the entire metropolitan region. The next two chapters discuss changes in larger post-socialist cities, city regions, and larger meso-regions – Poznan (Poland) and South Trans-Danubia, focussed on Pecs (Hungary). Łukasz Mikuła addresses issues of metropolitan reforms and administrative adjustments. After reviewing concepts of urban and metropolitan government and governance, he looks at how they might apply to post-socialist cit- ies such as Poznan. In the absence of legislation initiated at the national level, he emphasises the importance of voluntary co-operation among local-governments in metropolitan regions. The last two chapters in the section look at problems involved in governance across larger regions – trans-regional governance, and at problems involved in creating new area-wide networks which bring together governmental and non-governmental organisations. Ilona Pálné Kovács focuses on region- building processes in Hungary, looking at efforts to encourage cooperation imposed from above, as well as the success of cooperation developed from below. She dis- cusses the formation of networks of actors at the regional level in Hungary, includ- ing ways in which networks and decision making have adapted to embrace EU regional policy. This contribution also portrays the opinions of regional elites on regional reform. According to them, regionalisation in Hungary has failed due to a lack of preparation and consensus building. Marek Furmankiewicz , Wojciech Knieć and Jane Atterton examine the implementation of a new form of rural governance through territorial partnerships in Poland from 2004 to 2008 and their subsequent impact. They examine the institutional base of rural governance in Poland, and the creation of local government partnerships, initially under the European Union’s Leader + programme, and its successor. They compare Polish experience with expe- rience in the UK, noting that in the United Kingdom, there is a much stronger tradi- tion of local action and cooperation. Their fi nal recommendations focus on improving governance through cross-sectoral partnerships in the rural areas of post- communist states. The last 20 years have witnessed the growth of cross-border and international co-operation, particularly within the European Union. Therefore, the second part of the book contains four chapters presenting various aspects of development in this fi eld. David Rylander and Pontus Tallberg deal primarily with transnational cooperation between regions without joint borders in Europe. They compare the Preface vii co- operation activities of regions in Sweden, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Various types of strategies, organisation, formalisation, and fi elds of co- operation are identifi ed. Péter Balogh examines the city of Szczecin located on the Polish-German border. He discusses its evolving spatial orientation, focussing on its current geopolitical position on the Polish-German border, within a short distance of Berlin. He also looks at formal and informal cross-border cooperation, and assesses the prospects for future development. Transformation in former ‘Black Triangle’, located in the tri-border region between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, is depicted by Rick Glöckner and Isolde Roch . Until recently, this region was known for its mining and industrial activities, and their deleterious impacts on the environment (espe- cially high air pollution). The authors assess the different economic, social, and demographic trajectories of the three