Radicalising public services: a comparative analysis of two municipalist experiments in the Basque Country and Catalonia
Abstract
Abstract What would a socially transformative public service provision look like? This article addresses this question in two ways: by advancing a theoretical proposal of ‘radical’ services as a set of prefigurative practices that, within and beyond the local state, redefine the public domain through collective and participatory forms of management and control; and by analysing two experiences in the Basque Country (Hernani) and Catalonia (Cardedeu) that have extended public services and have explored participatory forms of co-production. The comparative analysis provides insights into local policies, but also into the limits of working in, against and beyond the state.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Urban Planning and Governance
Public Policy and Administration Research
Social Sciences and Governance
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 379–393
- Publication date
- 11 March 2026
- Language
- EN