Regulating like a city

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of crisis through the lens of regulation, arguing that moments of crisis serve as openings for previously marginalized actors to engage in experimentation with new forms of regulation. The analysis focuses on the evolving relationship between cities and states as a key arena where these dynamics have played out over recent decades. While this relationship is often framed in terms of scalar re-articulations of state spatial strategies, I contend that such approaches overlook a crucial qualitative distinction: Cities, or urban-based actors, have a propensity to pursue place-based regulatory strategies, whereas national states tend to rely on territorial regulation strategies. By foregrounding this distinction, the paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how crises reshape regulatory dynamics.