SELF-ORGANIZING GOVERNANCE OF LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: INFORMAL POLICY NETWORKS AND REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Economic development is a policy area where competition tends to be the norm, but it is also one in which cities cooperate through a variety of formal and informal mechanisms. Taking a social network approach, we examine the roles of informal policy networks and regional institutions in strengthening formal collaboration between city governments in economic development. Network relationship data were collected from city governments in the Orlando metropolitan area. We highlight the importance of informal interactions between city governments for collaborative agreements and identify the critical roles that regional institutions can play in moderating the effect of informal relationships on collaborative agreements. The conclusion argues for urban research to pay greater attention to how networks shape collective action among local governments.