Robin Hambleton Professor of City Leadership, University of the West of England, Bristol and Director of Urban Answers Presentation to the RTPI Symposium UCL, London, 28 April 2015 Place-based leadership and social innovation – new possibilities for planning

A presentation in four parts: Centralisation on steroids Place-less power and place-based power The New Civic Leadership conceptual framework Reflections and emerging themes

Part 1: Centralisation on steroids

The origins of modern local government ‘All private effort, all individual philanthropy, sinks into insignificance compared with the organised power of a great representative assembly like this.’ Joseph Chamberlain Mayor of Birmingham

A century of centralisation The UK is the most centralised state in the Western world Rates Act 1984 – seismic shock. Central government takes the power to cap local taxation 1997 – Having opposed capping for 13 years Labour Government retains it 2011 – Coalition Government introduces a ‘Localism Act’ with 142 centralising measures in it 2014 – Chancellor Osborne introduces the devolution deception

Part 2: Place-less power and place based power

Leading the inclusive city A new book published by Policy Press (University of Bristol)

Tackling injustice – the central challenge for public leadership Leading the Inclusive City is a values-driven book The definition of the inclusive city used in the book is as follows: ‘The inclusive city is governed by powerful, place-based democratic institutions. All residents are able to participate fully in the society and the economy, and civic leaders strive for just results while caring for the natural environment on which we all depend’

Innovation Stories in Leading the Inclusive City There are seventeen Innovation Stories in Leading the Inclusive City: 1) New York City 9) Curitiba 2) Bristol10) Guangzhou 3) Chicago11) Freiburg 4) Swindon12) Copenhagen 5) Enschede13) Melbourne 6) Langrug14) Hamamatsu 7) Auckland15) Toronto 8) Malmo16) Portland 17) Ahmedabad

Place-less power in a global era Globalisation has resulted in a spectacular growth in place-less power in the last thirty years… Place-less decision makers disregard the consequences of their decisions for particular places. This has devastating consequences for people living in particular places Place-based decision makers have a commitment to improving the quality of life of communities living in ‘their’ place

Part 3: The New Civic Leadership conceptual framework

Framing the power of place

Realms of place-based leadership and Innovation Zones

Place-based leadership in context

A process model of civic leadership

Part 4: Reflections and emerging themes

Issues for consideration/discussion 1) Place-based leadership can take on place-less power 2) Outward-facing place-based leadership can bring about radical public innovation… 3) A massive devolution of power is needed – think Sweden 4) Planning needs to get into the Innovation Zones – this implies a shift from improvement to the co-creation of progressive alternatives

Some sources… Balducci A. and Mantysalo R. (eds) (2013) Urban Planning as a Trading Zone. New York: Springer Hambleton R. (2015) Leading the Inclusive City. Place-based innovation for a bounded planet. Bristol: The Policy Press Keohane N. O. (2010) Thinking about leadership. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press Sandel M. (2012) What Money Can’t Buy. London: Allen Lane

Thank you for your attention! More international examples and further analysis of leadership themes: