Urban governance and economic development: an analysis of the changing political economy of Wilmington, Delaware, 1945-2017
Date
2018
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University of Delaware
Abstract
The political economy – or nexus of political and economic power – in a city is a key element in urban governance. This work explores the elements of the urban environment that influence a city’s political economy, how the resultant political economy influences economic development decisions and how those decisions impact the subsequent environment and so on. Over time, it is possible to trace the evolution of a city’s context, political economy and economic development in such a way as to observe a relationship between the three. This dissertation research is a policy history doing just that for Wilmington, Delaware from 1945 to the present. Critical analysis of historical documents and accounts pairs with interviews of policy makers, administrative officials, civic leadership and activists, business leaders, keen observers and engaged academicians to uncover the relationship between these three elements in a small, post-industrial city in America’s Mid-Atlantic region.
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Keywords
Social sciences, DE, Delaware, Economic development, Governance, Policy history, Political economy, Wilmington