Urban development projects catalyst for sustainable transformations: the need for entrepreneurial political leadership

Abstract

This article argues that lessons for sustainable urban transformations can be learned from a more precise understanding of urban political leadership in decision-making processes of far-reaching urban development projects. While urban governance networks and distributed forms of governing may be typical of contemporary urban political configurations, our results show the necessity of entrepreneurial political leadership in developing an agenda for sustainable urban transformations, in connecting policy streams and engaging stakeholders, and in aligning and deliberating between different interests. To map the role, impact and strategic behaviour of the dominant actors, especially the mayor, we reconstructed thoroughly the decision-making processes of three urban projects in the city of Kortrijk (Belgium). For this multiple case study we used a complexity-acknowledging perspective and opted for qualitative research techniques.