Urban policies as multi-level policy mixes. The comparative urban portfolio analysis to study the strategies of integral urban development initiatives

• Published in: Cities 2020-07, Vol.102, p.102716, Article 102716
• Main Authors: Navarro-Yáñez, Clemente J., Rodríguez-García, María Jesús
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Development policy; Face validity; Intervention; Intervention mechanisms; Intervention strategy; Policy mixes; Urban development; Urban policy
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2020.102716

Urban policy is an increasingly important policy domain in international and national agendas, intended to cope with the complexity of urban problems. The use of integral interventions across various policy sectors involving different types of actors from the public and private spheres is a common orientation in urban policy. This implies that urban policies should be understand as multilevel policy mixes, and appropriate research strategies should be developed to analyse them from a comparative perspective. This article introduces main analytical elements to analyse urban policies as multi-level policy mixes and proposes an original methodological approach (the comparative urban portfolio analysis). To illustrate and show the face validity of the proposal, policy measures included in 78 local plans under three urban policies in Spain representing policy approach identified in international literature are analysed. Main results show the importance of two basic orientations (contextual and redistributive) to understand the intervention strategy of local plans and urban policies as policy mixes. Differences within policies show the multi-level character of urban policies, and differences between them resemble the orientation of policy frame they represent, showing the face validity of the proposal to analyse urban policies as multi-level policy mixes from a comparative perspective. •Urban policies are multi-level policy mixes including their policy frames and specific policy measures in local plans.•A 'comparative urban portfolio' approach is proposed to analyze urban policies as multi-level policy mixes.•78 local plans across 3 policies are analyzed to illustrate and validate the analytical and methodological proposals.•Urban policy mixes define their strategy according to two main dimensions: contextual vs. actor; collective vs. private goods.•Analytical categories and methods provide tools to carry out comparisons of urban policies mixes within and between countries.