400
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REVIEW
Cities are windows on the transformation of social regimes
(Mingione, 2005, p. 68)
I INTRODUCTION
One of the key features of western European governance has been the
evolution of state strategies to grapple with the problem of uneven
development (Brenner, 2004). Managing the contradictions inherent within a
capitalist economic system is a major task faced by the institutions of the
central state. The key challenges faced by western Europe in the post-Fordist
era have been identified by Mingione (1996, 1997, 2005) as the industrial
restructuring and the attendant intensified pressure of competitiveness; the
crisis of welfare and public services and the reshaping of patterns of political
representation and citizenship. Taken together these challenges have forced a
re-working of both the regulatory regime within which the state does its
business, and the form and functions of state practices. According to Mingione,
Europe is set on a path toward social regimes that are centred on more
unstable, fragmented, flexible and non standardised rationales than in the
past, (2005, p. 67).
Partnership has emerged as a popular strategy deployed by the state at
national and local level in order to address problems of accumulation,
redistribution and social exclusion. Urban regeneration strategies in
particular, have embraced the idea of partnership between stakeholders in
attempts to boost economic development, refashion neighbourhoods for the
tourist gaze, address deficiencies in the housing market and re-invent public
space. This paper sets out to critically examine some of the convergences and
divergences in relation to the partnership approach to urban regeneration at
neighbourhood level across eight European cities. The cities examined here
form part of the ENTRUST thematic network funded under the European fifth
framework programme.1 Eight cities took part in the consortium: Berlin,
Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, Hamburg, Lisbon, Valletta and Vilnius. The
selection of cities was based on geographic spread as well as the desire to
include the different and emerging traditions of governance across Europe.
The project commenced in early 2002 and concluded in mid-2004. Each of the
eight city teams was made up of both academic/research personnel and
1 ENTRUST- Empowering neighbourhoods through recourse of urban synergies with trades,
contract number EVK4-CT-2001-2007. Participating cites were Berlin and Hamburg
(GERMANY); Copenhagen (DENMARK); Dublin (IRELAND); Glasgow (UNITED KINGDOM);
Lisbon (PORTUGAL); Valletta (MALTA); Vilnius, (LITHUANIA).