多层级治理视角下跨界地区合作模式探究——以广佛为例

基于多层级治理的视角,以广州、佛山两市为研究地区,通过深入访谈、文献资料分析等方法,从宏观政策尺度和微观项目尺度分别对广佛两市及其所辖的区、街镇不同层级政府在实施《珠江三角洲地区改革发展规划纲要(2008~2020年)》过程中,跨界地区合作模式制度建构及实践进行了深入研究。出于行政压力和经济利益的驱动,地级市政府的角色出现了新的变化,水平联系显著增强,促成了跨界地区合作在制度建构方面的新进展,形成了“以项目库为载体的地级市单一合作模式”。研究发现,这种新的合作模式有助于将不同城市的诉求表达程序化,可以协调合作过程中存在的问题及督办项目的进展,具有较强的可操作性和可监督性;但也存在一些不足。受限于行政管理体制,目前的跨界合作集中在地级市单一层级,区及镇街政府缺乏直接合作的平台;合作平台不能全天候运作;缺乏相应的激励机制,地方政府的积极性难以持续等。

Cross-border Region Cooperation Mode from the Perspective of Multi-level Governance: A Case of Guangzhou-Foshan

Since 2008, China has adopted a new round of regional planning and regions have formulated diverse regional plans to enhance their competitiveness. One of the most notable features is that the decentralization of central government facilitating the efforts of local governments on institutional innovation. However, previous studies examined cross-border region cooperation is conceptual, but the empirical studies are limited and little has known about the roles of local governments involved in for planning implementation. Pearl River Delta Reform and Development Plan (2008-2020) is the first regional planning proposed by provincial government and issued by central government in 2008. Its implementation and the role of local governments involved is a less researched area. There are a large number of research works regarding multi-level governance theory in the western academic world. However, whether it works well under Chinese context need a further exploration. Guangzhou-Foshan Metropolitan region is selected as a case. By means of in-depth interview and document analysis, this article aims to examine the roles of different levels of local governments in Guangzhou-Foshan regions in the process of implementing the Pearl River Delta Reform and Development Plan (2008-2020) by the combination of the macro perspective, policy initiatives, with micro perspective, project analysis. Driven by administrative pressures and economic development, the roles of provincial government and municipal governments have changed, and cross-border region cooperation has made good progress on institutional building. Moreover, it is found that the existing mode of Guangzhou-Foshan cooperation is regarded as a type of “project-based municipal city-level single cooperation mode”, which is rather vulnerable and instable; and this mode is quite different from western practices of multi-level governance. Despite the fact that the vertical communication and interaction between different local authorizes have increased, the governments at the district level and town level do not have an effective communication platform and a directly cooperative mechanism, due to the restriction of current administrative system in China. The citizens are excluded from this cross-border region cooperation, and have no channels to express their demands. The findings provide some policy implications on regional planning implementation and cross-border region cooperation for other regions in China.