ABSTRACT
We argue that contemporary debate on innovative urban environmental governance underestimates the influence of bureaucratic self-referencing practices. Informed by organisational and institutional theories, we define them as mechanisms for strategic incorporation of new environmental rules while keeping former administrative structures stable. Analysis of new units in Polish cities identified three such practices: defining bureaucratic identity, translating environmental issues, and managing external actors. Thus, urban bureaucracy is ‘a gatekeeper’ that can soften or strengthen the administrative boundaries of environmental progress. We, therefore, recommend the careful evaluation of innovative administrative forms to determine whether they meet social and environmental expectations.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank the Polish National Science Centre for funding our research as well as the interviewees for contributing their time and sharing their thoughts on the investigated issues. We also thank three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability
Due to ethical concerns, supporting data cannot be made openly available yet. Further information about the data and conditions for access are available on request from research team.
Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.