Handbook of Territorial Governance

by Giancarlo Cotella (Editor), Umberto Janin Rivolin (Editor)

Overview

Integrating political, social, and technical dimensions of territorial governance, this timely Handbook provides insights into the topic from scholars across urban and regional planning, policy, geography and economics. It offers a comprehensive exploration of territorial governance systems across different theoretical perspectives, themes and geographies, from Europe to Asia, Africa, and beyond.

The Handbook addresses the ambiguities of the concept from different points of view and identifies the challenges of transferring territorial governance, exploring the topical concept of territorial meta-governance. Leading experts discuss territorial governance in relation to concrete spatial policy issues, including housing and transportation policies, as well as broader aspects of human existence, such as climate change and planetary commons. Chapters examine the roles of institutions, jurisdictions, infrastructures and urban properties in territorial governance, shedding light on multi-level and multi-actor governance.

The Handbook of Territorial Governance is an essential guide for students and academics in planning, human geography, governance and urban studies. Its valuable insights will be beneficial to practitioners in urban and regional planning and governance, as well as policymakers, government officials, and environmental scientists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781035317271
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	08/10/2025
Pages:	668
Product dimensions:	6.62(w) x 9.62(h) x (d)

About the Author

Edited by Giancarlo Cotella, Professor of Spatial Planning and Umberto Janin Rivolin, Professor of Spatial Planning, Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

Table of Contents

Contents
Contributors viii
Preface xiv
1 Introduction to territorial governance 1
Giancarlo Cotella and Umberto Janin Rivolin
PART I Theories
2 Territorial governance: institutions, jurisdiction, infrastructure, and urban
property 15
André Sorensen
3 Multilevel territorial governance 34
Arjan H. Schakel and Michaël Tatham
4 Multi-actor territorial governance: rethinking participation 52
Sue Brownill
5 Comparing territorial governance 66
Vincent Nadin and Dominic Stead
6 Transferring territorial governance 83
Eva Purkarthofer and Dominic Stead
7 Territorial governance and complexity theories: dealing with emergent and
differentiated realities 100
Gert de Roo
8 Territorial governance practices: attentive listening and improvising in the
face of power 114
John Forester
9 Revisiting territorial governance: a discussion of strategic and ethical issues 129
Stefano Moroni
10 Territorial meta-governance: toward a (re)conceptualization 139
António Ferreira
PART II Themes
11 Territorial governance and urbanisation: an outcome of everyday planning
practice 157
David Evers
12 Territorial governance in urban regeneration: a propositional agenda 172
Sonia De Gregorio Hurtado
13 Territorial governance, social innovation, and co-production: signifiers or
significant? 189
Francesca Bragaglia and Gavin Parker
14 Territorial governance and transnational mega-projects: speed, scale, and
collective learning 205
Davide Ponzini
15 Metropolitan governance: developing a visionary response capacity 219
Peter Ache
16 Placing “the rural” in territorial governance 235
Mark Scott, Menelaos Gkartzios and Nick Gallent
17 Governance of maritime space 253
Dorota Pyć and Jacek Zaucha
18 Territorial governance across borders: the example of the Greater Region
SaarLorLux+ 271
Beate Caesar, Benjamin Blaser and Karina Pallagst
19 European Union territorial governance 285
Umberto Janin Rivolin and Giancarlo Cotella
20 Territorial governance and housing: toward a multifaceted and conflictual
conceptualisation 299
Simone Tulumello and Marc Pradel
21 Accessibility-oriented territorial governance 314
Elisabetta Vitale Brovarone, Enrica Papa and Nuno F. da Cruz
22 Territorial governance and the digital turn 329
Michele Campagna
23 Territorial governance and immigrant integration: a missing link? 346
Andrea Pettrachin
24 Territorial governance and sustainability: a multimodal approach 361
Abdur Rehman Cheema and Abid Mehmood
25 Shaping global territorial governance: tracing the emergence of the urban SDG 374
Jessica Espey
26 Territorial governance and planetary commons 394
Wendy Steele
PART III Geographies
27 Territorial governance in Europe: a comparative study 407
Umberto Janin Rivolin and Giancarlo Cotella
28 Territorial governance in North America: coherent chaos 422
Harvey M. Jacobs
29 Territorial governance in Latin America: context, issues and challenges 437
Francesca Blanc and Juan E. Cabrera
30 Territorial governance in Africa: the case of the Gauteng City-Region in
South Africa 454
Philip Harrison
31 Territorial governance in Russia 472
Nadir Kinossian
32 Territorial governance in West Asia and North Africa: grey territorial
governance in the West Bank 488
Erez Tzfadia
33 Territorial governance in South Asia: associations, informality, and exclusion 501
Ashima Sood
34 Territorial governance of China 517
Kai Wang and Jiawen Wang
35 Territorial governance in Japan and East Asia 534
Akito Murayama
36 Territorial governance in the South East Asia region 551
Iwan Rudiarto, Wiwandari Handayani, Naim Laeni and Tia Dianing Insani
37 Territorial governance in Australasia: cases of evolving urban governance 570
Kristian Ruming, Tom Bake and Andrew Butt
38 Territorial governance with limited sovereignty: how external control of
space can change the role of the state 587
Erblin Berisha, Franziska Sielker and Peter Dannenberg
39 Territorial governance in outer space: order or chaos? 607
Linda Billings

Editorial Reviews

‘The Handbook of Territorial Governance is an indispensable resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. It skillfully navigates the complexities of spatial planning and governance, providing fresh perspectives and actionable insights. This well-structured volume broadens our understanding of territorial governance and its critical role in shaping sustainable futures.’

Ivis Garcia

‘In times of global turbulence and new territorial ambitions, this ambitious and excellent collection of theories, themes and geographies gives comprehensive insights on the state-of-the-art and multiple challenges of territorial governance, which make it an essential source for planners around the world, who aim to improve territorial decision-making processes.’

Klaus R. Kunzmann