Local Economic Development: Bargaining and Public Interest. A Comparative Study on Italy and France

Abstract

This paper focuses on the concept of negotiation preceding agreements. This method, taken seriously, has many knock-on effects on urban planning and the efficiency of public administration by fast tracking. The method of planning with consent entered the Italian legislative procedure in the ‘90s and has been “alive and kicking” ever since, though not without criticism. Some recognized weak points are: the multi-level governance structure itself; a scarcity of public resources and the necessity for active participation and involvement of private entities; an unsuccessful process in simplifying public administration, and; better flexibility in the tools needed in comparison to the hierarchical model of decision making. Two questions have yet to be answered: the role of private entities within public planning, and the constraints resulting from agreements.