Understanding city-regional cooperation: what works where

Purpose – Advocates of the role of city-regions in economic development seek lessons from other countries to boost the case. But processes of lesson learning raise many challenges and the purpose of this paper, therefore, is to argue that it is necessary to shift from descriptive comparison to a better understanding and explanation of what works where. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken in the paper is to review recent debates about the design of comparative studies and suggests a range of comparative questions. Findings – The paper draws on insights from the ESRC Research Seminar and other papers in this issue and helps clarify some of the issues that may be involved in developing a better comparative understanding of the emergence and impacts of new “experimental”, time-limited regional institutions. Research limitations/implications – The paper argues for more rigorous comparative research. Practical implications – Questions are raised about current lesson learning concerning the governance of city regions. Originality/value – The paper contributes to new debates about the potential of comparative study