GOVERNANCE RESCALING AND THE ROLE OF META-GOVERNANCE: changes and challenges for regional spatial planning in Italy and France

This paper considers the role of meta-governance in governance rescaling processes occurring in South-West Europe in the last decade. Using the interactive perspective for developing an analysis of ongoing processes of institutional rescaling in France and Italy, the contribution focuses on the connected changes in planning systems and instruments. Governments expectation vs obligation for local and regional planning authorities to join or to jointly engage on spatial planning across local boundaries open up for a set of option from voluntarist to compulsory cooperation in spatial planning, with different interpretation into the two countries. In this context, the definition of integrative territorial strategies at the regional level will be observed, drawing evidence from examples of regional contexts in the two countries: the evolving redefinition of territorial scales in both France and Italy suggests that the conventional, hierarchical ‘cascade-shaped’ planning system organization is superseded but challenges arising for strategic and spatial planning in regional areas. The findings highlight the role and importance of both ‘hands-on’ and ‘hands-off’ meta-governance – in other words, high-level steering by central government – in enhancing metropolitan identities, strategic planning and sectoral integration. This has significant implications for the ongoing debate on planning in both countries. The findings enhance further reflection on the possible role of meta-governance in regional integrated strategy-making.