Geography

Reconstructing urban politics: Neighborhood activism in land-use change

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In urban governance, some responsibility for services and planning may lie with private entities. Residents challenging public policies may find recourse not from elected officials but from quasi-public agencies. This article examines contestation over a hospital expansion plan in Athens, Georgia. Using archival accounts and interviews, the author investigates the responses of the local state and the hospital to neighborhood-based activism and the success of residents in restructuring the hospital's decision-making process. The scale of contestation and negotiation differed from that of the city government. This case illustrates new structures and scales of negotiation and accountability in quasi-public urban governance. © 2004 Sage Publications.

Publication Title

Urban Affairs Review

Publication Date

5-1-2004

Volume

39

Issue

5

First Page

589

Last Page

612

ISSN

1078-0874

DOI

10.1177/1078087404263805

Keywords

community activism, governance, local politics, scale

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