Evolutionary Governance Theory

Kristof Van Assche is interested in evolution and innovation in governance, with focus areas in development, environment, and spatial planning & design. He is currently Visiting Associate Professor in Strategic Communication, Wageningen University, and Research Fellow at ZEF/ Center for Development Research, Bonn University. Teaching and research in various countries in Europe, North America, the Caucasus and Central Asia. His work is often comparative in nature, includes a fieldwork component and theoretical reflection: institutional & development economics, systems theories, post-structuralism. Raoul Beunen is Assistant Professor Spatial Planning at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He works on Evolutionary Governance Theory in the fields of natural resource management and spatial planning. His research deals with policy implementation, policy integration, participatory approaches and the performance of legal institutions. He teaches planning theory and methodology with a focus on reflective and participatory learning. Martijn Duineveld is Assistant Professor Cultural Geography at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He works on Evolutionary Governance Theory in the fields of geography, urban- and coastal planning. He is especially interested in the dynamics of power, knowledge and places. He teaches in courses on human geography, research methods, cultural geography, empowerment, sustainability, landscape architecture and planning. He is active in both academic and societal debates on citizenship, governance and democratisation.

1 Introduction.- Part I: Governance as Evolution.- 2 Theoretical Sources of EGT.- 3 Foundational Concepts.- Part II: Building Blocks for Evolutionary Governance Theory.- 4 Evolutionary Paths.- 5 Seeing, Making & Distribution Things.- 6 The Power of Stories.- 7 Governance Paths and Reality Effects.- Part III: Applying EGT.- 8 Governance and Its Categories.- 9 Overview of the EGT Model.- 10 Policy Formulation & EGT: Making Governance Work.- Literature.