ABSTRACT
The recent evolution in the relationships between the state and local governments and in policy making processes, along with the transformations in capitalism and its relationships with urban spaces and the evolution of urban societies require a reassessment of the way French cities governance is analysed. More recently, researchers have tried to apply neo-Marxist and regulationist approaches to French cities, in particular by trying to test the hypothesis of a neo-liberalisation of the forms of urban governance. This chapter defends and illustrates the idea according to which studying the way French towns and cities are governed through the mere centreperiphery relationships analytical framework is no longer appropriate. It examines, how the transformations which occurred before and after the 1982 decentralisation laws finally allowed alternative analytical frameworks to emerge. Finally, the chapter widens the subject to places beyond France and examines the possibility of defining and qualifying Southern European urban regimes.
