Trends in place-based economic strategies: England's fixation with 'fleet-of-foot' partnerships

Pugalis, Lee and Townsend, Alan (2013) Trends in place-based economic strategies: England's fixation with 'fleet-of-foot' partnerships. Local Economy, 28 (7-8). pp. 696-717. ISSN 0269-0942

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Abstract

The form of place-based economic strategy that is the focus of this paper is ‘fleet-of-foot’ partnership arrangements. Contributing to the theorisation of these institutional configurations, which are propounded by some as more flexible and responsive than democratic-administrative alternatives, the paper investigates the empirical situation in England that has unfolded over recent years. Tracing the recent historical evolution of sub-national structures that could be considered ‘fleet-of-foot’, the paper analyses the implications for place-based economic strategies at large. Through an analysis of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), the paper examines the extent to which the conceptual principles underpinning the notion of ‘fleet-of-foot’ arrangements have informed the configuration of LEPs, emphasising the importance of the legacy of past political constructions. Drawing attention to some of the primary weaknesses of ‘fleet-of-foot’ arrangements, the paper concludes that there are some inherent limitations to the present configuration of LEPs. These impede such partnerships in opening up space for a richer constellation of actors to participate in governance forums across flexible and functional geographies, or achieve efficient outcomes. More broadly, the paper contributes to the literature on place-based economic strategies and contemporary trends in economic development.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Published online before print version 8/10/2013.
Subjects:	L100 Economics
Department:	Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Architecture and Built Environment
Depositing User:	Ay Okpokam
Date Deposited:	07 Nov 2013 13:43
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2019 00:36
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/14494

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