Two qualitative case studies on network governance in Swiss transit station district development

Abstract

Designing station districts to support transit-oriented development (TOD) requires multi-actor collaborations across sectors, planning scales, and administration levels. Dedicated planning processes are rare and perceived differently by the relevant actors. Previous TOD studies have shown that actors respond to this challenge with network governance, forming networks through a bottom-up approach to integrating development policies and processes. This article examines whether and how network governance occurs for transit station districts in two Swiss case studies. Through a qualitative analysis of the role of network formations in actors’ handling of governance challenges, the findings demonstrate that actors learn about plurality and structure collaborative operations management through network governance. The article suggests that statutory planning authorities and public transport operating agencies promote the profile of station districts’ spatial imaginaries so local practitioners acknowledge the benefits of dedicating resources to networked development orchestration.

Keywords

• Multi-actor collaborations
• Network governance
• Qualitative case studies
• Transit-oriented development
• Transit station districts
• Urban planning–transportation nexus