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This paper explores recent attempts to re-imagine and re-brand northern British cities through processes of economic and (mainly) cultural regeneration. It analyses the creation of new contemporary urban images and presentations and compares these with the economic, social and cultural life experiences of people living in the areas. It examines the process of recharacterising former industrial conurbations as being at the cutting edge of contemporary, postmodern culture. A range of features is identified here within similar political, economic and policy contexts: deindustrialisation and regeneration driven by local business and political elites; emphasis on culture as spectacle to the exclusion of other cultural configurations; reliance on tourism and advertising, hyper consumption and leisure as determining aspects of the local economy; and the reorganisation of city populations

Purpose – Reform of local political management continues to be part of the international agenda for change as governments seek to create the conditions for better performance in local government. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of changes in political management upon the performance of local government, with England as a case study, and the implications for local government reform elsewhere. Design/methodology/approach – Using statistical data derived from the system of comprehensive performance assessment (CPA), the analysis uses Kendall's tau to correlate CPA score per local authority against the respective political governance arrangement of each local authority in England. Findings – As the correlation coefficient did not reach the level of statistical significance, the principal finding is that the relationship between different political governance arrangements and local authorities' performance is not demonstrated. The implications of this for governments' reforms of political management are discussed. Research limitations/implications – The data are based upon English sources and point to the importance of conducting comparable analysis in other societies that have undergone similar changes in local political management. Practical implications – In instituting reforms of local governance, governments rarely pay serious attention to measurable outcomes and the paper suggests the value in so doing. Originality/value – The specific relationship between local political management and performance has not previously been measured in precisely this way.

Abstract: This paper explores recent attempts to re-imagine and re-brand northern British cities through processes of economic and (mainly) cultural regeneration. It analyses the creation of new contemporary urban images and presentations and compares these with the economic, social and cultural life experiences of people living in the areas. It examines the process of recharacterising former industrial conurbations as being at the cutting edge of contemporary, postmodern culture. A range of features is identified here within similar political, economic and policy contexts: deindustrialisation and regeneration driven by local business and political elites; emphasis on culture as spectacle to the exclusion of other cultural configurations; reliance on tourism and advertising, hyper consumption and leisure as determining aspects of the local economy; and the reorganisation of city populations. Keywords: Visual culture; city; Britain; cultural policy; cultural regeneration Résumé: Cet article explore les tentatives récentes de ré-imaginer et de « re-brander » les villes du nord de la Grande-Bretagne par le biais de stratégies de régénération urbaine mettant principalement l'accent sur les interventions de nature culturelle. Cet article met en relief la recomposition du paysage visuel urbain des villes du nord pour les contraster avec les conditions économiques, sociales et culturelles qui caractérisent l'existence et l'expérience des citadins qui y vivent. En particulier, il s'agit notamment d'examiner les pratiques et le processus de redéfinition des espaces industriels en lieux qui incarnent le contemporain et l'avant-garde de la culture postmoderne. De ces observations, on constate des similitudes dans les moyens utilisés par les autorités dans des contextes qui partagent les mêmes conditions politiques et économiques, à savoir : la régénération entendue comme un projet porté par les élites politiques et économiques locales; un accent mis sur la culture « spectacle » au détriment d'une compréhension et d'un usage plus inclusif de cette dernière; un accent marqué sur les activités de promotion touristique; l'hyperconsommation et le loisir en tant que moyens de développement local; et la réorganisation et la recomposition de la population urbaine comme conséquence de ces mobilisations de la culture. Mots clé : Culture visuelle, ville; Grande-Bretagne; politiques culturelles; régénération urbaine

This article offers a critical perspective on the ways in which the learning process in public organizations may be influenced by gender. The discussion considers the difference between the direct impact of gender differences on learning and the indirect influence of gender when mediated through other variables including structure, culture, hierarchy and status. Based on qualitative interviews with a group of public sector managers, the discussion finds no grounds for concluding that learning in their organizations is directly gendered, in the sense of being systematically defined or structured specifically in relation to gender. However, there were powerful indications that gender may work alongside other factors — particularly culture and hierarchy — in shaping the patterns of learning within public sector organizations. The variables of hierarchy, status, culture, power and personal networks impact significantly on how learning takes place and upon what is learned, and the importance of gender lies in its complex relationship with these and other factors. The discussion as a whole is framed with reference to the prescriptive agenda of public sector `modernization' and it is suggested that such compliance may not be conducive to learning in public organizations. Indeed, it may undermine genuine organizational development and impact negatively upon the ethos of public service.

PurposeThe paper aims to compare the office of directly elected mayor in England, Germany and the USA. Proposing and applying a conceptual model of government, governance and allegiance, it assesses the leadership role of the elected mayor in the three countries.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of mayors in each country over a period of 11 years. These formed part of the authors' continuing research into local leadership and political management, which has also included interviews with ex‐mayors, elected representatives and senior officials.FindingsThe operation and success of the elected mayor in specific countries is influenced by formal variables (e.g. state constitutions, formal requirements) and informal relationships (e.g. with officials), represented in the distinction between structure and agency. The role of the individual mayor also varied in the light of local party affiliations. The paper considers the impact of these variables on the government, governance and allegiance functions of the elected mayor.Research limitations/implicationsIn providing an analytical framework and in the discussion of original research, a basis is provided for the further study of the office of elected mayor in different national contexts. This is likely to prove valuable as the future of sub‐national government is subject to continuity scrutiny.Practical implicationsThe adoption and growth of the elected mayoral system may be considered as an example of lesson drawing. This has both positive and negative implications. Positively, much can be learned from comparative experience. Mayoral systems have resulted in quicker decision making. The mayor provides a very visible form of local leadership and accountability. However, dangers lie in the over‐concentration of powers in the office of mayor and, in England especially, the failure of the mayoral system to enhance public engagement in local government.Originality/valueThe discussion will be of value to practitioners, policy‐makers and academic researchers who are concerned with the future of the elected local state and its office holders.

The public service modernization agenda has directed attention to the problematic questions of how public sector organisations learn, what they learn, and how they fail to learn. This article considers: definitional problems of organisational learning; the critical differences between individual and organisational learning; the public organisation's capacity to learn; some of the principal sources of public sector learning; the ambivalent nature of learning networks; and the main barriers to effective learning. Drawing from a current study amongst senior public service managers, the discussion assesses the extent to which public service modernization encourages, or rather inhibits, organisational change and improvement. It is suggested that organisational learning in the public sector is not necessarily delivered through partnerships and the agenda of modernization: it may derive instead from internal processes and a focus upon the existing strengths of the organisation. The article re-evaluates the conventional wisdom of organisational learning and proposes a heretical view of learning and networks. In drawing out prospects for future research, it advocates a renewed emphasis upon effective internal learning.