Coping with Complexity and Urban Inequality: Dilemmas of Democratic Mega-city Governance

This project responds to three global challenges: unequal urbanisation, growing complexity of the governance systems and a crisis of trust in democracy. More than half of the world population currently live in cities and this share is expected to increase. Modern urban areas are highly unequal, with vast shares of the population living in poverty and struggling to access city-services (Tonkiss 2018). The growing complexity of governance systems leads to an increased number of non-state actors who are not held democratically accountable and whose actions are difficult to control or regulate (Jervis 1997). Finally, along dropping trust in democratic governance, there is rising support for populism and growing acceptance for authoritarian practices (Foa and Mounk 2016). Due to the global impact and interconnected nature of these challenges, any social-scientific response to these problems cannot treat them separately. Existing interdisciplinary research tends to focus on solutions to some of these challenges, often without acknowledging its broader impact. For example, research on governing complex urban polities is focused on top-down and technocratic tools, which contributes to the deepening of the democratic crisis and further inequality (e.g. Kubler and Lefevre 2017). In turn, democratic and participatory solutions to urban inequality often rely on bottom-up communities and face-to-face decision-making, while ignoring the wider complexity of urban decision-making. Finally, research on the possibilities of democratic control over the complex governance ignores the questions of inequality it can produce. As a result, to respond to these three challenges, new, more integrated solutions are necessary.

I am applying for ESRC Fellowship to propose such an integrated solution. My project 'Coping with Complexity and Urban Inequality: Dilemmas of Democratic Mega-city Governance' investigates strategies of urban governance, in conditions of complexity, to realise democratic ideals and lead to more equal urban societies. It draws on my previous PhD research in political theory, complements it with an empirical case-study of constraints of democratic governance in London in order to produce a monograph. Big mega-cities, such as London, due to their global population share and projected continued growth will be vital actors in an integrated global response to the crisis of trust to democratic governance, managing the growing complexity of governance and to responding to consequences of unequal urbanisation. London is a critical case study, due to its inequalities, complex governance consisting of local, national and intra-national bodies and its democratic political system.

This project employs a cross-disciplinary, innovative research design that is rooted in applied political philosophy and qualitative case studies. Employment of applied political philosophy facilitates analysis of theoretical possibilities of democratic, equalising urban governance. Further, it facilitates re-shaping of the philosophical concepts according to the constraints of real-life circumstances (in London). Application of qualitative methods - a series of interviews with urban practitioners, urban NGO's, city council members, inhabitants' associations - provides information on constraints and opportunities for the development of democratic, equalising governance in London. This analysis constitutes a basis for policy-recommendation applicable beyond the specific case studies. Further, a planned workshop engages urban practitioners, urban NGO's, representatives of inhabitants' urban council and selected neighbourhood association. To identify solutions to given urban problems, the workshops will apply a management tool called Three Horizons' Framework (Sharpe 2016). Such mixed-methods research design combining political philosophy and qualitative methods provides a basis for philosophically informed urban policy and constitutes a methodological innovation.