Social Innovation and Urban Governance

Edited by Marc Pradel-Miquel, Ana Belén Cano-Hila and Marisol García Cabeza, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Barcelona, Spain

'Can social innovation be a trigger for governance change and political transformation in cities? That is the key question this book attempts to answer. This is undoubtedly the most pressing issue in contemporary urban praxis for those concerned with questions of urban democracy and social equality. And this book is a formidable achievement in charting the possibilities of social innovation to nurture urban transformation.'--Erik Swyngedouw, The University of Manchester, UK'Using Spanish cities as an empirical lens to understand how south European cities reacted to the 2008 crisis, this important book unveils how governance arrangements can change through the transformative potential of social movements and under which conditions civil society can be a driver of social innovation.'--Yuri Kazepov, University of Vienna, Austria'This book is a valuable and timely contribution of comparative urban research. Although the chapters in this volume are focused primarily upon the intense conflicts over the meanings of citizenship, governmental authority, and social change in Southern Europe, the research reported is relevant to the countless other places in the world that are experiencing rapid social change.'--Dennis R. Judd, University of Illinois at Chicago, US

• Contents:1. Social innovation in Southern European cities: local governance and citizen practices: Spanish cities as an illustration Marisol García, Ana Cano Hila and Marc Pradel2. Methodological observations for the study of social innovation initiatives and their role in urban governance dynamics. Santiago Eizaguirre Anglada3. Social Exclusion and the neighbourhood: the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and austerity policies in Spanish cities in the context of Southern EuropeAna Cano, Raúl Ruíz and Lídia García4. Large cities and the crisis of democracy: modes of engagement between new social initiatives and local governments. Fernando Díaz Orueta and María Luisa Lourés Seoane5. Barcelona: towards new forms of institutionalising civil society and social innovation initiatives?Ana Belén Cano and Marc Pradel6. Citizen-led and civil society social transformation: democratic empowerment and co-production of community policies in Bilbao. Santiago Eizaguirre Anglada7. New forms of collective action and local government: from 15-M to the Ahora Madrid governmentFernando Díaz Orueta and Maria Luisa Lourés Seoane 8. Zaragoza: the socially inclusive and institutionally innovative cityMarisol García and Lidia García FerrandoConclusionsMarc Pradel, Ana Belén Cano and Marisol GarcíaIndex