Title:
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY EXPERIENCES IN UK

Authors:
Dr. Fatih EREN

Abstract:
UK has experienced a very interesting and teaching regional governance between 1998 - 2010. UK Government took a radical decision for following spatial development strategy of EU, also solving problems in physical planning, public and economy management issues in the country and passed to a regional government and planning system. In this scope, important powers and sources of central and local administration are transferred to new established regional institutions. Thus, "regional development agencies" entered into agenda of the country as very effective and very strong regional institutions. Agencies have functioned as an active and effective institution for 12 years and dominated government - planning processes in all aspects, but they were closed with a sudden decision in 2010. UK's regional development agencies experience deserves a detailed examination regarding understanding regional development dynamics and applications. Purpose of this study is to explain regional development and governance experience of UK through regional development agencies marking the period and taking lessons from this experience for benefit of all countries. The study seeks answer for questions such as, what should be the scale of government and planning, who should have priority in development and which issues should be handled together in the development process, as well as provides important determinations for solving relations between development and democracy.