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European Urban Agenda: The Predicaments of Decentralised Coordinative Action

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Territorial Innovation in Less Developed Regions

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance ((PSSNG))

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Abstract

In the last decade, the development of a wide European Union approach to urban policy has reached a stronger stage of consolidation. However, the accomplishments of the EU Urban Agenda are highly dependent on decentralised styles of territorial governance, and domestic contexts can be detrimental of some of the intended changes. In Portugal, the European Cohesion Policy has been catalyst of important changes in public subregional governance, strengthening the role of intermunicipal coordination. Still, in the ongoing programming cycle, Territorial Pacts as chief instruments of Cohesion Policy delivering, at this level, coexist with municipal urban policy financing schemes (via municipal Strategic Plans of Urban Sustainable Development (PEDU), with a noticeable lack of coordination between them. If, as recognised, the enveloping of funds through Territorial Pacts has given preponderance to contractual relations over strategic planning exercises at intermunicipal level, the missing link with municipal strategic plans is eventually curtailing the potential of strategic territorial coordination at the subregional scale. The chapter addresses these issues by deepening the debate on relevant dimensions of subnational governance and by exploring the results so far produced by the PEDU’s financing scheme in the Centro Region of Portugal.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This can be implemented through the so-called mainstream approaches (i.e., similar to other ESF Funds), a separate OP or a separate mixed priority axis, or through an ITI.

  2. 2.

    PI 4.3 aims to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy use in public buildings and infrastructure.

  3. 3.

    Dispatch 23,021/2007, of October 4, from the Office of the Secretary of State for Spatial Planning and Cities.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social, Political and Territorial Sciences, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Fernando Nogueira

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  1. Fernando Nogueira
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Correspondence to Fernando Nogueira .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Aveiro, .Aveiro, Portugal

    Filipe Teles

  2. University of Aveiro, .Aveiro, Portugal

    Carlos Rodrigues

  3. University Portucalense, University of Aveiro, .Aveiro, Portugal

    Fernando Ramos

  4. University of Aveiro, .Aveiro, Portugal

    Anabela Botelho

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Nogueira, F. (2023). European Urban Agenda: The Predicaments of Decentralised Coordinative Action. In: Teles, F., Rodrigues, C., Ramos, F., Botelho, A. (eds) Territorial Innovation in Less Developed Regions. Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20577-4_11

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