Interactive governance: a concept of participative public administration

Abstract

This article investigates possibilities for the consolidation of new forms of network based on interactive governance. Starting from theoretical considerations on the urban governance concept, it discusses innovative experiences of public participation in the cities of Santos, Porto Alegre and Curitiba. Emphasis is given to the analysis of new institutional arrangements as governmental strategies aiming at two basic objectives: first, to augment democratic legitimacy by introducing new interactive practices, and second, to improve the quality of public policies and administrative performance by means of extended participation. In spite of the general tendency of an increasingly interactive practice of local governance, differences may be identified with regard to the ideological motives that stimulate the extension of public participation, the processes of implementation of these interactive practices and, finally, the characteristics of the priority target groups of participatory arrangements. Key-words: interactive governance, public participation, urban management.