Can Place-Based Policies Enhance Community Life and Democracy: On Neighbourhood Governance, Participation and Institutional Trust.

There is a lot of evidence indicating the impact of urban place-based policies on socio-economic and quality of life aspects of community performance. However, it is less common to analyse effects of such policies on political culture as well as socio-political attitudes, behaviours and activism of residents. Particularly little is known about the mechanisms of political disaffection and distrust towards local governments - and public authorities in general. First, proximity to residents may foster better knowledge of public action and public involvement (a classical idea about local governments as schools of democracy). And second, they usually put in place governance and participation mechanisms involving associations and residents that can promote knowledge of public action.

This session welcomes proposals about explanatory mechanisms and comparative empirical studies on the possible effect of place-based policies on socio-political attitudes (political interests, generalized trust, collective efficacy, ....), political activism (individual or collective modes), and, specifically, institutional trust.