The path to regional competitiveness: Business‐civic leadership and geoeconomics in metropolitan Philadelphia

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case study of the Philadelphia region's efforts to implement a regional approach to economic development by relying on business‐civic leadership to transcend governmental boundaries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the role of leadership in organizations representing business interests, and the competing and conflicting perspectives on the “right” scale to do so – local and/or regional, drawing on participatory insights into the relevant processes.

Findings

While ad‐hoc partnerships and governance are often recognized as important elements of economic competitiveness for metropolitan areas by key civic and business leaders, established localist and institutional‐organizational interests and strategies may counteract that. Overcoming long‐established fragmentation requires a high level of attention to symbolism and the details of inclusiveness in organizational and spatial terms.

Originality/value

The recognition and study of city‐regional governance is very topical. The contribution of this paper is timely and offers a rare insight into the practical side of city‐regional governance, thus illuminating theoretical arguments.

Citation

Hanson, K.J. (2009), "The path to regional competitiveness: Business‐civic leadership and geoeconomics in metropolitan Philadelphia", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 210-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550910949190