URBAN REGIMES AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE - POLICY ADAPTION AND COORDINATION IN LEEDS AND LILLE

Rather than weakening regime theory, comparative analysis illuminates its central theoretical insights. The cases of Leeds (United Kingdom) and Lille (France) show cities in contrasting geographical, cultural, and institutional contexts developing regimelike local polities throug h business participation in a wide range of public-sector decisions. T he five special noninstitutional factors promoting regimes are local b usiness ownership, business integration,large metropolitan context, an d economic advantage or disadvantage. The distinctiveness of these cit ies in their countries is an indication of the degree of policy learni ng and capacity generation that has taken place.