Empowerment via delegation? The administrative capacity-building potential of cohesion policy urban development strategies

The study examines the implementation of urban development strategies in Scotland and Veneto and fills an important gap in the knowledge on the capacity-building potential of such strategies. Following a principal-agent approach, the investigation shows that narrow delegation models incentivise compliance, are less conducive to capacity-building and reinforce an administrative capacity paradox. By contributing an original framework for the study of delegation models, a fine-grained understanding of administrative capacity that acknowledges the importance of agency for the success of capacity-building initiatives and policy recommendations for 2021-2027, the research will be of interest to scholars and practitioners alike.