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This thesis examines the extent and the nature of city-to-city co-operation (CTCC) for sustainable development among UK local authorities. Policy-makers and analysts believe that various forms of local authority co-operation, here termed CTCC, will enable local authorities to effectively deliver local sustainable development objectives. To date, little attention has been given as to why and how such governing processes take place or to the realities of their outcomes. The thesis informs academic debates on governance. It argues that the 'hollowing out' (Rhodes, 1997, p. 138) and changing role of the state (MacLeod and Goodwin, 1999) have allowed for the emergence and diffusion of self-organizational networks. This shift in the nature of govemance has ted the political opportunity for CTCC. The thesis draws on the policy networks (Marsh and Rhodes, 1992) and govemance networks (Marcussen and Torfmg, 2003) literature to consider how key characteristics in governing through networks - resources, face-to-face interaction, and inter-personal relationships and trust - are relevant to CTCC.

Urban design decision-making is complex and problematic, involving the detailed inter-disciplinary sharing of information, data and understanding (Barnett, 1982). The problems associated with making decisions in this environment are covered widely by a prolific number of authors (Roberts and Greed, 2001; Moughtin, Tanner and Tiesdell, 1995; Greed, 1995; Rowley, 1994; McLoughlin, 1969; Jacobs, 1961). Despite this profusion of authors on the subject there are, to date, only a few suggested solutions put forward which could be used to help improve the situation (Raman and Naderi, 2006; Boyko et al, 2005; Roberts, M. 2000; McGlynn & Murrain, 1994). Many studies have been conducted which have examined the nature of urban design projects, their anticipated and actual outcomes (Park, 2004; Punter, 2003; DETR, 2001). This thesis explores how decision-trees can be used to contribute to sustainable urban design decision-making. For each of the three case studies conducted the current urban design decision-making process was identified through interviews and document analysis with participants. The research involved interviewing a range of practitioners across disciplines, to capture methods of working, sharing and storing of data and information. This also identified the challenges faced by the practitioners involved in decision-making when considering urban design and sustainability during the urban design process. With the help of the research participants the author was able to build decision-trees for each of the three case-studies and evaluate how the decision-trees might be used in the future to contribute to the sustainable urban design decision-making process. The case-study research was conducted in conjunction with the Lancaster and Morecambe City Council and focused on an area currently undergoing major regeneration in the West End of Morecambe. There have been limited funds available to the project team involved in the West End and much of the work has necessarily considered cost and sustainability. The regeneration team have therefore been keen to embrace suitable methods to harness, share and manage the important knowledge generated during the urban design process in order to improve the future of the area under generation. The results of the research illustrate how the use of decision -trees could contribute to sustainable urban design decision-making in a small focused area such as the West End of Morecambe. The research conducted also highlights the problems associated with change, development and regeneration in a declining economic environment

Instante Architekturen erscheinen in bestimmten Bereichen von Raumbildung als vertraute Alltagsbauten, wie etwa im American Diner oder der Imbissbude. In den 2000er Jahren entwickelte die jüngere Architektengeneration neue Ansätze, die auf der Idee einer Raumerweiterung und -aneigung durch Selbstgestaltung beruht und zumeist als temporäre Intervention im Sinne der situationistischen Ideen realisiert wurde. Zweckentfremdung und Rekontextualisierung sind dabei als Gestaltungsmethodik wieder zu finden. Qualitäten dieser instanten Architekturen werden hier im Kontext einer kritischen Hinterfragung der üblichen Entwurfs- und Planungsmethoden und einer informellen Bottom-Up-Stadtentwicklung herausgestellt.

The concept of the ‘city-region’ has (re)gained prominence in academic discourse, firstly in a functional dimension an explanation of patterns of life and work in the modern space-economy, and secondly in a related politico-cultural dimension via an advocacy of the city-region scale as a loci for political and administrative organisation. As an acknowledgment of the connection between the two dimensions a case study approach was adopted. Firstly, the thesis considered the extent to which Scotland has city-regions in a functional sense, primarily via a quantitative analysis of census origin-destination (home-workplace) data. Secondly, having established that the spatial logic for city-regions was sufficiently robust, the thesis considered the political and organisational feasibility, desirability and relevance of devising arrangements that would facilitate planning and policy-making for city-regions. A series of qualitative semi-structured interviews featuring a cross-section of respondents across three field service case studies (local authorities, healthcare and strategic planning) were undertaken with discussions grounded in the context of Scotland’s pre-existing administrative geography. The interviews were interpreted via a series of governance principles or themes that emerged from a review of relevant literature on the city-region, and a second subsequent review of literature on Scotland’s field service geography. The totality of the quantitative research constituted a comprehensive statement on the significance of city-regions as functional entities, with a ‘spatial mismatch’ evident between Scotland’s functional city-regions and Scotland’s pre-existing geoadministrative structure. With respect to the qualitative research (regional organising capacity and culture and identity) it was concluded that existing cooperative arrangements for city-regions in Scotland are inadequate, but that a fresh approach is necessary due to reluctance amongst many field service units to cooperate across administrative boundaries. This work serves as a reminder that irrespective of any compelling functional evidence, the city-region concept must be able to overcome or adapt to the political and cultural barriers to its practical implementation that inevitably face any normative geoadministrative proposition.