Clemente J. Navarro Yáñez

Mayors and Local Governing Coalitions in Democratic Countries: A Cross-National Comparison

Abstract This paper focuses on the form or ‘morphology’ of mayor governing coalitions in municipalities of 11 democratic countries. If there exists an ‘analytical consensus’ regarding the form that these coalitions can adopt, the ‘empirical consensus’ seems to lean toward a modal form: the ‘pro-growth coalition’. Nevertheless, our results show the existence of two other forms of mayor governing coalitions which are as numerous as the pro-growth: ‘progressive coalitions’ and ‘integrative coalitions’. Therefore, these progressive and integrative coalitions, usually tested as case studies, have been shown here as empirical generalisations through a cross-national analysis that included 1700 cases. The aim of this paper is therefore to transcend ‘empirical parochialism’ in urban governance where the mayor is interested above all in urban growth and cooperation with business, and to give empirical generalisation to other local governance definitions, where local government leaders might be interested in implementing welfare policies with the cooperation of other political actors, be they parties, associations or upper levels of government.

Impact of area regeneration policies: performing integral interventions, changing opportunity structures and reducing health inequalities

Background Urban regeneration policies are area-based interventions addressing multidimensional problems. In this study, we analyse the impact of urban regeneration processes on the evolution of inequalities in mortality from certain causes. On the basis of Fundamental Cause Theory (FCT), our main hypothesis is that the impact of urban regeneration programmes will be more clearly observed on the causes of preventable deaths, as these programmes imply a direct or indirect improvement to a whole range of ‘flexible resources’ that residents in relevant areas have access to, and which ultimately may influence the inverse relationship between socioeconomic status and health. Methods Using a quasi-experimental design and data from Longitudinal Statistics on Survival and Longevity of Andalusia (Spain), we analyse differences in the evolution of standard mortality ratios for preventable and less-preventable causes of premature death. This encompasses 59 neighbourhoods in 37 municipalities where urban regeneration projects were implemented in the last decade within the framework of three different programmes and in 59 counterparts where these policies were not implemented. Results As expected in line with FCT, there are no significant patterns in the evolution of internal differences in terms of less-preventable mortality. However, excessive preventable mortality strongly decreases in the neighbourhoods with intervention programmes, specifically in those where two or more projects were in force. This is even more apparent for women. Conclusions The urban regeneration policies studied seem to contribute to reducing health inequity when the interventions are more integral in nature.

Models of local governing coalitions: city politics and policy effects in Spanish municipalities

Local governance involves coalitions between public and private actors on policy issues. Actors participating in these coalitions may vary according to the issue in question, even within the same city. Based on a survey carried out among actors from different sectors of the local political community in four Spanish cities, governance networks are analyzed across five different issues: public housing, cultural tourism, urban regeneration, social policy, and citizen participation. Using network analysis and indexes in a comparative examination of 20 policy networks, we show that variations across networks are explained by policy issue content and supra-municipal regulations, regardless of the cities’ political characteristics.

Karaoke Together vs. Bowling Alone: Scenes Illuminate how Western Rules can be Transformed to Drive Development and Democracy

Abstract What drives workplace and political collaboration, democracy, trust, economic and population growth? Or protest against them? The Western models emerging from Putnam, Verba et al., Florida, Glaeser, Lloyd, Scott, and Porter stress variables that sometimes shift dramatically in Asia. Those relying on individualism and personal initiative, from Tocqueville on – which stress participation as driving legitimacy, and bohemia as innovating – often fail or shift drastically in a new study of related dynamics in China, Korea, and Japan, compared to the United States, Canada, France, and Spain. Karaoke restaurants and bars can play critical roles, reinforcing workplace and family solidarity, while organized groups shift in their dynamics from the West. We are constructing a multilevel interpretative framework specifying how cultural, political, and economic dynamics interpenetrate in distinct but varying combinations. How engaged or alienated are young persons, workers, and the general public shift other processes. Arts and culture can build glamour and charisma, or alienate as transgressive and inauthentic; each varies by context.

Regímenes de provisión de vivienda y emancipación residencial: análisis del esfuerzo público en vivienda en España y efecto en las oportunidades de emancipación desde una perspectiva autonómica comparada

Los regimenes de provision de vivienda pueden definirse como el conjunto de iniciativas (publicas y privadas) que configuran las opciones disponibles en cada sociedad para conseguir un lugar en el que residir. Desde esta perspectiva cabe considerarlos como un elemento central de los regimenes o Estados de bienestar, junto con las politicas de empleo, sanidad o educacion. De hecho, analisis comparativos entre paises muestran la existencia de distintos regimenes de provision de vivienda que, por un lado, se corresponden con clasificaciones existentes de regimenes de bienestar y, por otro lado, tienen efectos sobre las condiciones de acceso a la vivienda y el regimen de tenencia predominante. En estos estudios Espana suele calificarse como un modelo dualista, que fomenta la vivienda en propiedad sobre la de alquiler; frente al modelo integrado, mas caracteristico de algunos paises del centro y del norte de Europa. En este marco, el presente trabajo pretende desarrollar dos objetivos. Por un lado, mostrar la existencia de sistemas autonomicos de provision de vivienda en Espana, y proponer indicadores al respecto. Por otro lado pretende mostrar, como caso, sus efectos sobre la emancipacion residencial de los jovenes, utilizando para ello datos procedentes de diferentes fuentes (Censo de Poblacion y Vivienda, EPA y otras fuentes de datos secundarias espanolas). Con ello se pretende realizar propuestas analiticas y empiricas sobre un aspecto aun poco estudiado de los sistemas subnacionales de bienestar.

The Contextual Effect of Local Scenes on Cultural Practices: The Case of Spain

Abstract The analysis of cultural consumption centers on the influence of individual characteristics (mainly social class). However, this chapter proposes that this relationship is contextual. More specifically, this relationship varies according to the nature of local cultural scenes where people live. In order to show the contextual impact of cultural scenes, we analyze a representative survey among a Spanish population. Three main conclusions are drawn. First, two main dimensions explain the patterns of cultural consumption by the Spanish population: the classical distinction between popular and high culture, and the distinction between conventional and unconventional cultural practices. Second, other characteristics, beside social class, are important to explain the implication of population in different patterns of cultural consumption, for instance, age; young people are oriented toward more unconventional practices regardless of their social class. Third, local cultural scenes matter: the difference between cultural practices of different groups (for instance, young and old people) is reduced in municipalities oriented toward unconventionality, showing an “assimilation contextual effect.” This contextual effect also has some impact upon local cultural policies that we mention briefly. The analysis of lifestyles and cultural consumption has focused mainly on determining the impact of individual attributes on the types of practices developed by individuals. However, the effect of the access or exposure to certain opportunities of cultural consumption is less frequently analyzed, or even whether this exposure has different effects according to different social groups. The analysis of this issue is one of the objectives of the “Cultural Scene” research program, which is being developed under the project “Cultural Dynamics of Cities.” In this chapter, we try to determine whether existing cultural scenes in different municipalities influence how Spanish residents develop their cultural practices, with data from a nationally representative survey.

Cultural Strategies, Creativity, and Local Development in Spain

Abstract City governments know well that culture is a powerful tool they can use to promote local development. Those governors also know that there are different ways to pursue that process. Two main strategies considered here are: instructional strategies, which promote cultural services among local inhabitants, and instrumental strategies to promote economic development creating big cultural spaces and large events. This chapter shows the impact of cultural strategies on the attraction of creative residents (creative class), as well as on income differences among Spanish municipalities. Our main hypothesis is: in comparison with instructional strategies, instrumental strategies have a positive impact on local creativity and economic development. Using secondary data from the Spanish census, cultural strategies in a local area are analyzed, and are included in multiple regression models to test this idea. These analyses show that, first, instrumental strategies have a positive impact on creative class localization; second, these strategies have a positive impact on local income regardless of the presence of a creative class, and moreover, the impact of a creative class on local income depends on the orientation of cultural strategies. This implies that the impact of creativity on local development is contextual according to the nature of local cultural strategies.