Meta-Governance and the Segregated City: Analyzing the Turn to Network Governance, Knowledge Alliances, and Democratic Reforms in Malmö City, Sweden

Research over the past two decades has focused on the shift that has taken place from municipal government to urban governance, which has been accompanied by questions concerning democratic accountability. But as policy makers and administrators have become increasingly familiar with governance, public actors have strategically chosen to engage in the practice of meta-governance, thereby both promoting and utilizing governance networks. An analysis of a specific case in which governance networks were a central element of a proposed solution for local problems of segregation and social inequality reveals important assumptions that underlie network governance, including the idea that networks extend democratic channels beyond representative democracy. This study investigates these assumptions as well as their initial implementation in the case in question, showing that governance networks and increased participation are difficult to implement from above in spite of the ambitious and informed efforts that have been undertaken. Moreover, networks tend to promote collaboration among elites while leaving weak groups and policy recipients without a voice.