Amendment to "co-governance arrangements inclusive of different communities and stakeholders"

Co-governance is a multi-stakeholder governance arrangement whereby the community emerges as a key actor and partners up with at least one of the other four actors of the quintuple helix governance scheme of urban innovation. This approach builds on the theories elaborated to explain governance approaches used to stimulate innovation such as the triple helix and it implies the involvement in urban governance of five categories of actors: 1) active citizens, “commoners” and practitioners of the urban commons, social innovators, city makers, organized and informal local communities; 2) public authorities; 3) private economic actors (national or local businesses; small and medium enterprises; social businesses; neighborhood or district-level businesses) 4) civil society organizations and NGOs; 5) knowledge institutions (i.e. school; Universities; research centers; cultural centers; public, private, civic libraries). This model foresees an active role of the cognitive institutions as entrepreneurial and engaged universities.  Co-governance arrangements are aimed at empowering the actors involved and stimulate resource integration through social and economic pooling. They ultimately trigger processes of inclusive urban development. 

Key references

• Ansell, C., Gash, A.. 2008. “Collaborative governance in theory and practice. ”Journal of public administration research and theory, 18(4), 543-571.

• Arnstein, S. R.. 1969. “A ladder of citizen participation. ” Journal of the American Institute of planners, 35(4), 216-224.