Can local development actions be transformative and contribute to more just spaces?

Abstract

The key question in this article is whether place-based or local(ised) development actions can have a lasting impact on local institutions and whether, in influencing decision-making processes and planning routines, they can support more inclusive or just processes and outcomes in a locality. I draw on scholarly literature on spatial justice, as well as recent work on transformative social innovation, to develop an analytical framework for assessing the transformative potential of local development actions in disadvantaged regions. I subsequently use this framework to analyse empirical evidence from 15 case studies. The findings show that place-based actions can help to reform institutional settings but need to be planned and implemented more consequently in terms of a process facilitating institutional change. Among the factors limiting the lasting impact of localised development actions on local institutions is a narrow (one-dimensional or too modest) set-up of actions, or a lack of time and persistence to achieve structures that consolidate new practices.