Partners in regeneration: constructing a local regime for urban management?

In a world portrayed as diverse and complex, in which power is diffused, governance can be achieved only by building on formal inter-sectoral partnerships. These must involve all stakeholders including those previously excluded from decision making and will therefore present new challenges. Urban regeneration provides a good testing ground for evaluating such partnerships in action and their capacity to act as vehicles for building a new local power base. This article considers the dilemmas that arise from the introduction of the voluntary sector in formal partnerships. It argues that, based on such experiences, much needs to be achieved if effective local regimes are to emerge.