Urban regeneration projects and the role of municipal officials: A strategy-as-practice perspective

Urban regeneration projects are increasingly used as cities face complex problems and challenges involving economic, social, and environmental issues. Such projects are marked by considerable complexity given the variety of actors involved and the diversity of their claims. Thus, it is crucial to understand how public actors can stimulate participation and integrate various inputs into a final project. A challenge, however, emerges as to how to accommodate and integrate these with various administrative and organizational constraints, leading projects that are both participated and well implemented. This article analyzes how the challenge was practically tackled by a municipal administration managing a small-scale, public-led urban regeneration project in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Drawing on a strategy-as-practice perspective, our qualitative study illuminates the strategizing process and practices through which public officials can achieve project closure balancing participation and constraints, contributing to the literature on collaborative urban regeneration projects and discussing the role of municipal officials in this light.