ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the cooperative/collaborative governance model of governance for urban areas. A major cost in time and effort that dooms the cooperative arrangement can be dividing the costs and benefits so that all parties are satisfied. There are two aspects to the cooperative/collaborative model. One is cooperation among local governments. The other is collaboration with nongovernmental actors and organizations. Cooperative agreements can solve service delivery problems without changing the basic structure of the local government system and without significantly restricting the freedom of action or autonomy of the recipient governments. Cooperative/collaborative governance is rapidly becoming a worldwide phenomenon. A vigorous and vibrant civic sector and business involvement are essential for a nation to develop and prosper. This is the collaborative aspect of the international relations model. The European Union is the preeminent example of collaborative governance among independent countries.