Regional governance for greenways in China: A control rights perspective

The effectiveness of regional governance hinges upon its governance structure. However, this consideration is often absent from studies of the establishment and maintenance of regional greenways, a globally popular regional project for sustainability. Specifically, little research has been done to understand the influence of centralized governance structures on greenway development at the regional level. In this study, we examine three greenway schemes in Guangdong Province, China, to elaborate on the government practices within a centralized institutional framework and the related challenges in governance. We apply the control rights theory to analyze the different allocations of control rights in goal setting, policy evaluation, and incentive provision, as well as their effects on the behaviors of and relations between governments at multiple levels. We reveal that all three greenway schemes of Guangdong feature top-down institutional arrangements, but with different governance structures and government practices. The provincial government has been proactively and pragmatically refining its regional policies to address issues in early institutional arrangements. However, the development of regional greenways is still challenged by insufficient participation of non-state actors, unstable governance structures, and the financial burden on local governments.