Real estate development is an intensely social process dependent on rich networks of relations between public and private sector actors. Previous work has explored how far such relations are formalised in large cities through shared coalitions of interest intended to promote urban growth. Relatively little attention has been given to networks in smaller cities, which is the concern of this paper. Drawing on detailed research in a small Scottish city, the paper explores how its local network was characterised by strong reliance on network construction and reproduction through trust and reputation. Significantly, within such local networks, competition and collaboration can exist side by side, without subsuming normal tensions into consistent agendas or formally defined ‘partnerships’. Controlling land for urban expansion provides a particular focus for these tensions, since it can allow certain interests to gain network dominance. These findings raise important concerns around whether small cities should rely on informal networks to promote growth instead of constructing formal coalitions that may attract more externally based actors. Such choices have profound implications for the capacity and transparency of development networks, and thus for the accountability of the urban development process.

中文翻译：

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小城市的发展网络和城市增长

房地产开发是一个高度社会化的过程，它依赖于公共和私营部门参与者之间丰富的关系网络。以前的工作探讨了通过旨在促进城市增长的共同利益联盟，这种关系在大城市中的正式化程度。对小城市网络的关注相对较少，这是本文所关注的。该论文通过对苏格兰小城市的详细研究，探讨了其本地网络如何通过信任和声誉高度依赖网络建设和再生产。重要的是，在这样的本地网络中，竞争与合作可以并存，而不会将正常的紧张局势纳入一致的议程或正式定义的“伙伴关系”。控制用于城市扩张的土地为这些紧张局势提供了一个特别的关注点，因为它可以让某些利益获得网络优势。这些发现引起了人们对小城市是否应该依靠非正式网络来促进增长而不是建立可能吸引更多外部参与者的正式联盟的重要担忧。这些选择对发展网络的能力和透明度具有深远的影响，从而对城市发展过程的问责制产生深远的影响。