The concept of institutional interplay (i.e., the interaction between institutions) is critical if the challenges to multilevel governance are to be better understood and addressed. Drawing on the literature on institutional interplay, this paper develops an analytical approach to examine challenges to multilevel coastal governance. São Paulo Macrometropolitan region (MMP, in Portuguese) is used to ground the empirical analysis. The macrometropolitan is one of the largest urban areas in the Southern Hemisphere; it houses the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo—one of the six most significant in the world. The MMP concentrates critical infrastructure, such as ports, airports, and roads, and considerable knowledge, technology, and innovation hubs. The coastal governance in the MMP area characterizes a highly connected multilevel system formed by 60 organizations (7 international, 29 national, 11 state, and 13 local). These comprised a complex environment featuring a great deal of fragmentation, and, consequently, jurisdictional and functional gaps and overlaps. This case was best described in terms of normative, functional, and political interplay. Interplay management has the potential to improve governance on the cross-level interactions among scale-dependent institutions of the MMP, enhancing synergies, and minimizing tensions among the institutions analyzed. This includes fostering cognitive interaction (i.e., promoting interinstitutional learning and assistance, and enhancing synergy) between institutions with complementary and/or similar objectives. Ultimately, interplay management may reduce fragmentation, improve compliance and monitoring, and increase cost-effectiveness. The findings from this paper may prove useful to other jurisdictions where pressing environmental issues involve multiple governance levels and interacting institutions.

中文翻译：

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多尺度制度综合体的动态：以圣保罗大都市区为例

如果要更好地理解和解决多层次治理面临的挑战，制度相互作用（即制度之间的相互作用）的概念至关重要。借鉴有关制度相互作用的文献，本文开发了一种分析方法来检查多层次沿海治理面临的挑战。圣保罗大都会地区（MMP，葡萄牙语）用于进行实证分析。大都市是南半球最大的城市地区之一；它拥有圣保罗大都会区——世界上最重要的六个大都会区之一。MMP 集中了关键的基础设施，如港口、机场和道路，以及大量的知识、技术和创新中心。MMP 区域的海岸治理是一个由 60 个组织（国际 7 个，国家 29 个，州 11 个，地方 13 个）形成的高度联系的多层次系统。这些包括一个复杂的环境，其特点是高度分散，因此，管辖和职能之间存在差距和重叠。这个案例最好用规范、功能和政治相互作用来描述。相互作用管理有可能改善 MMP 规模依赖机构之间跨层次互动的治理，增强协同作用，并最大限度地减少所分析机构之间的紧张关系。这包括促进具有互补和/或相似目标的机构之间的认知互动（即促进机构间学习和援助，以及增强协同作用）。最终，相互作用管理可以减少碎片化，改善合规性和监控，并提高成本效益。本文的发现可能对其他司法管辖区有用，因为这些司法管辖区的紧迫环境问题涉及多个治理层级和互动机构。