How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?

In recent years, participatory budgeting has been often regarded as an example of an alternative urban policy experience, detached from the entrepreneurial mainstream. Despite its increasing popularity amongst urban policy analysts, activists and practitioners, however, few works have effectively as...

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Main Authors: Wojciech Kębłowski, Mathieu Van Criekingen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Métropoles 2014-12-01
Series:Métropoles
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/4994
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author Wojciech Kębłowski
Mathieu Van Criekingen
author_facet Wojciech Kębłowski
Mathieu Van Criekingen
author_sort Wojciech Kębłowski
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, participatory budgeting has been often regarded as an example of an alternative urban policy experience, detached from the entrepreneurial mainstream. Despite its increasing popularity amongst urban policy analysts, activists and practitioners, however, few works have effectively assessed the actual “alternative” character of policy practices carrying the participatory budgeting label in different urban contexts. This paper engages in such a critical assessment. We first build an analytical framework theoretically informed by Lefebvre’s conceptualisation of the “right to the city” as well as by elements put forward in the critical literature on citizens’ participation in urban policy-making. We then apply this framework to examine participatory budgeting practices in two different urban contexts, namely Cordoba in Southern Spain and Sopot in Northern Poland. Our findings suggest that the capacity of participatory budgeting to constitute an alternative to urban entrepreneurialism is conditioned by a number of intricate aspects. Although the model travels intensively around the globe as a benchmark for “alternative” policy, the actual practices of participatory budgeting may follow aims and produce results that are in fact to a large extent in tune with urban entrepreneurialism.
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spelling doaj-art-9d29790af26748e2b308efb60ea0c0c42025-08-20T03:16:01ZengMétropolesMétropoles1957-77882014-12-011510.4000/metropoles.4994How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?Wojciech KębłowskiMathieu Van CriekingenIn recent years, participatory budgeting has been often regarded as an example of an alternative urban policy experience, detached from the entrepreneurial mainstream. Despite its increasing popularity amongst urban policy analysts, activists and practitioners, however, few works have effectively assessed the actual “alternative” character of policy practices carrying the participatory budgeting label in different urban contexts. This paper engages in such a critical assessment. We first build an analytical framework theoretically informed by Lefebvre’s conceptualisation of the “right to the city” as well as by elements put forward in the critical literature on citizens’ participation in urban policy-making. We then apply this framework to examine participatory budgeting practices in two different urban contexts, namely Cordoba in Southern Spain and Sopot in Northern Poland. Our findings suggest that the capacity of participatory budgeting to constitute an alternative to urban entrepreneurialism is conditioned by a number of intricate aspects. Although the model travels intensively around the globe as a benchmark for “alternative” policy, the actual practices of participatory budgeting may follow aims and produce results that are in fact to a large extent in tune with urban entrepreneurialism.https://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/4994urban policyalternativesright to the cityparticipatory budgetingurban entrepreneurialism
spellingShingle Wojciech Kębłowski
Mathieu Van Criekingen
How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
Métropoles
urban policy
alternatives
right to the city
participatory budgeting
urban entrepreneurialism
title How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
title_full How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
title_fullStr How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
title_full_unstemmed How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
title_short How “alternative” alternative urban policies really are?
title_sort how alternative alternative urban policies really are
topic urban policy
alternatives
right to the city
participatory budgeting
urban entrepreneurialism
url https://journals.openedition.org/metropoles/4994
work_keys_str_mv AT wojciechkebłowski howalternativealternativeurbanpoliciesreallyare
AT mathieuvancriekingen howalternativealternativeurbanpoliciesreallyare