TiREG

Improving inter-municipal cooperation: mapping modes in the Netherlands and learning lessons from abroad

Researchers

  • Linze Schaap
  • Leon van den Dool
  • Niels Karsten
  • Jasper de Vries
  • Carlo Colombo

Commissioned by

  • Province of Noord-Brabant

Period

  • 2015-2016

Summary

This research consists of two interrelated studies, which have been conducted by TiREG researchers in the framework of the Province’s Resilient Governance (Veerkrachtig Bestuur) programme.

In a first study, Schaap and Van den Dool mapped the various modes of intermunicipal cooperation and provided an overview of what we know from the existing literature about these modes. They particularly looked at the functioning of the various modes, outlining both advantages and disadvantages. A key tension that collaborating municipalities face and that has not been resolved in currently existing modes, is that between effectiveness/efficiency and (democratic) legitimacy. Apart from describing modes of intermunicipal cooperation and the challenges related to it, the study aimed to support municipalities when deciding about what mode of collaboration to choose.

In a second, follow-up study, Schaap et al. investigated regional collaboration outside of the Netherlands that could serve as inspiration for municipalities in the Netherlands and that could contribute to dealing with persistent regional  collaboration challenges. For that purposed, they zoomed in on the relevant experiences of several city-regions including: Zurich, Greater Manchester, Copenhagen-Malmö (Øresund), Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai, and Berlin.

Publications