Europeanization at the urban level: Local actors, institutions and the dynamics of multi-level interaction

Abstract

EU initiatives provide urban institutions and actors across Europe with new and unprecedented access to information, legitimacy, and not least, financial support. From established local authorities to fledgling neighbourhood partnerships, actors across the urban spectrum see increased European involvement as a central component of innovative governance. This paper proposes a theoretical framework to assess whether European working provokes shifts in the institutionalized norms, beliefs, and values of urban actors, focusing in particular on British cities. In doing so, the paper elaborates a four-part typology of Europeanization at the urban level, and subsequently applies this typology to the empirical cases of Birmingham and Glasgow. It then attempts to draw some preliminary conclusions about how involvement in EU Structural Fund programmes affects long-standing practices in cities in Britain and across the continent.