عنوان

A collaborative partnership approach to integrated waterside revitalisation :

Number

TLets250487

Title Proper

A collaborative partnership approach to integrated waterside revitalisation :

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Kim, Joon Sik.

Title Proper by Another Author

the experience of the Mersey Basin Campaign, North west England

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Liverpool

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2002

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of Liverpool

Text preceding or following the note

2002

Text of Note

The central aim of this thesis is to investigate how a collaborative partnershipapproach as presented in contemporary planning theories can be applied to, andimprove, a process of integrated waterside revitalisation. The emergence of a newmodel of governance, bringing together governmental and non-governmental forcesto achieve the policy goal, calls for a novel form of partnership driven byinterdependence and networking between a range of actors. Although this approachis often described as 'collaborative planning', there is widespread acknowledgementthat the 'new' practice has operational difficulties. Collaborative planning has raisedissues about how common values can be forged and applied in a real-life context,especially in the face of political inequality.This thesis draws on the results of a research project investigating a concreteexample of collaborative partnerships, the Mersey Basin Campaign in the NorthWest of England. The Campaign is a government-sponsored 25-year initiative thataims to improve water quality and the waterside environments of the Mersey Basin, aheavily urbanised area containing the two conurbations of Merseyside and GreaterManchester. In carrying out the study, six detailed case studies within theCampaign's activities have been investigated; about 40 semi-structured interviewshave been undertaken, and over 25 meetings and field works have been observed.The study investigated the establishment and operation of a particular collaborativepartnership according to a four-stage life cycle of partnerships. By exploring the sixcases of collaborative practice through the views of practitioners, the research hasshown how collaborative efforts can be made in a real-life context.The results showed that waterside sustainability issues were essential to tackling ariver basin ecosystem management by creating a win-win strategy for widerstakeholders. The sustainability issue however, was not a top priority for all keystakeholders in deciding whether or not to put their money, time and efforts into thepartnership. The research showed that funding availability is the best way to attractreluctant stakeholders, although partner organisations seemed not to be interested inimplementing the tasks of the partnership once the initial excitement of fundingavailability had died away. There is, therefore, the partnerships need to develop anunderstanding of the collaborative approach among stakeholders and to change theirattitudes towards a collaborative form of planning practice. Collaborativepartnerships need different implementation processes to tackle different problems inthe face of the complexity of waterside agendas; some planning processes requirecontinuity of leadership, whilst others need bottom-up approaches. In this context,the study identified three key aspects of integrated waterside revitalisation;consensus building, facilitation, and open participation. It also developed amechanism of collaborative partnership service delivery in coordinating a top-downapproach and a bottom-up approach. The study has shown that the role ofrepresentatives linking their parent organisations to the partnership is fundamentalfor effective service delivery. It has been seen that once the representatives haveshared ownership of the partnership, they act as a catalyst to stimulate and motivateaction from their parent organisations.

Urban planning & rural planning

Kim, Joon Sik.

University of Liverpool

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y