From government to governance? Comparing eight European metropolitan areas

The article starts out from the general assumption of a trend from government to governance and tests it by means of a comparative study of eight European metropolitan areas. Due to the continuous growth of the population, urban areas are turning into increasingly relevant actors in a globalized world. They have thus increasingly become the focal point of governance studies. In line with the new regionalism, governance studies also assume a trend toward network-oriented decision- making structures. However, the analysis shows that there is no clear trend. Rather, the regional political systems develop in a different manner depending on the context. According to the author, new forms of government or governance arise or existing structures are maintained depending on the geopolitical location and national system of government as well as on how compelling the problem is.