Multi-levelgovernance in metropolitan areas (ERASMUS)

Over the last decades metropolitan regions (MRs) have turned into not only powerful centers of development, generating innovations and stimulating creative industries, but also into important political actors on the world-wide scene. During the course we discuss the problem of governing those functionally bounded, but administratively fragmented areas. We go through various theories of the old and new regionalism, which have emerged in the metropolitan discourse throughout the last century. Different organizational solutions to metropolitan problem are being discussed as well as the premises, which accompany various paradigms. In so doing, we refer to the concept of multi-level governance (MLG). The theory was elaborated in the 1990’s for the studies of the European integration, but in the course we apply it to the new empirical field (namely metropolitan governance). A lot of attention is paid to the constraints of MLG, which to some extent are reflected in the obstacles to and preconditions for establishing different metropolitan governance structures.

Subjects:

1) Introduction, concept of multi-level governacne (MLG)

2) MLG & metropolitan areas (MAs), “metropolitan problem”

3) Metropolitan governance – theories, MLG, newest approaches

4) History of metropolitan institutions (in Europe)

5) Examples of metropolitan bodies

6) Polish administrative system - introduction

7) Metropolitan areas in Poland

8) Polish MAs compared to West European ones

9) Examples of metropolitan bodies – students’ presentations

10) Sum up of metropolitan debate

11) MLG – advantages and disadvantages of the concept

Empirically, we lean on the European examples of metropolitan governance (mainly German and Polish ones), looking especially at their very recent developments.

The course aims at developing the understanding of multi-level governance – the popular and often applied in European studies concept. Moreover, it should teach comprehension of the problems, which usually accompany metropolitan governance (including distinguishing in reality the theoretical basis of the metropolitan debate, and discussing the possible institutional solutions and their pros and cons). At the end of the course students should be able to analyse any given case of metropolitan organisation in the light of metropolitan academic debate and MLG. The main goal of all these elements is to gain wider knowledge of the contemporary development processes in European Union, with regard to the functioning of both the EU and its engines – metropolitan regions. Thanks to this knowledge, students will be able to observe recent dynamics in these areas with a more profound understanding.

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