| Chapter 1: | Studying Urban Governance |
|
|
The Inquiry and Explanatory Factors
The concept of governance examined in this book goes beyond the notion of government understood merely as a group in power. As governance is a process, the analysis of problems and opportunities in a given political unit should not be limited to the examination of a single government but rather cover a sequence of governments and their actions for a determined period of time. The United Nations Center for Human Settlements defines good urban governance as a process “by which the common good is increased, with the common good being all things which make up a decent quality of life and good society.”7
Although good governance is not the cure for all urban ills, it increases the likelihood of better city living. Assessments of governmental action conducted by the United Nations and the UK-based Building and Social Housing Foundation show that depending on governmental actions or inactions, governance can be either effective or incompetent, can improve over time, or take a turn for the worse. Whereas governance strategies will differ in response to specific conditions of urban spaces, the ultimate goal of a good governance practice is steady improvement in the common good.
Once implemented, urban programs offer subsequent administrations incentives to keep—or even enhance—them. It is plausible to assume that governance will be better or more effective when a given governing group perceives the possibility of better outcomes and commits itself to and embarks on what it sees as a more satisfactory set of policies.