City Deals in the polycentric state: the spaces and politics of Metrophilia in the UK

Waite, D. and Morgan, K. (2019) City Deals in the polycentric state: the spaces and politics of Metrophilia in the UK. European Urban and Regional Studies, 26(4), pp. 382-399. (doi: 10.1177/0969776418798678)

Abstract

This paper draws attention to the burgeoning phenomenon of Metrophilia, the fashionable yet uncritical embrace of city-centric narratives of development in place-based policymaking. Within this narrative, City Deals have emerged as mechanisms that pit places in competition with each other through the promotion of local economic growth compacts. Despite being launched with great fanfare as localised victories, City Deals raise important questions regarding the shape of the UK state system and the objectives of spatial policy. Addressing these concerns, and focusing on the tripartite political arrangements in the UK’s devolved administrations nations, we argue that political tensions between nationalism and city-regionalism may be exacerbated through deal-making approaches.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Waite, David
• Authors: Waite, D., and Morgan, K.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: European Urban and Regional Studies
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 0969-7764
• ISSN (Online): 1461-7145
• Published Online: 25 September 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in European Urban and Regional Studies 26(4): 382-399
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher