Governance in urban regions: networks and actors in the metropolis of Nuevo León

Abstract

The impressive urban growth of the last few decades has made it clear that cities, particularly large metropolitan areas, are here to stay in the future. However, they will continue to be a problem for the government, as their size makes them difficult and expensive to manage. This article is the result of a literary review whose objective was to analyze the various approaches to metropolitan governance and its relationship with local agendas, in addition to considering the impact on economic growth. Likewise, the data collection method and evaluation of these with the documentary review technique were applied, so the type of research is qualitative. This article argues that through metropolitan governance, local governments gathered in a metropolitan area can perform strategic functions throughout the area, as well as coordinate and integrate public services. It was found that there are different indicators that allow measuring the degree of integration of this type of government, and it is concluded that in the case of Nuevo León, although there are governance models implemented that predict cooperation and the concentration of the metropolis, commitment of the local governments is essential to the correct implementation.