The aim of this presentation is to discuss how the ongoing decentralization processes of the state transforms and shapes regional territories and regional politics and policies. The discourse of enhanced competition between different places has led to new territorial strategies aiming at enhancing the competitiveness of places, both at a local, regional and national level.  This has resulted in the implementation of urban regeneration policies where different place marketing techniques are used to strengthen a place brand or a place image. To a great extent these policies work in favor of supporting larger metropolitan areas, both as growth engines but also as representative and image building for a larger region. Harvey (1989) calls this shift from a state Keynesianism building on convergence between weaker and stronger regions, to new policies supporting economic growth on the local, regional and national level entrepreneurial urban governance. This entrepreneurial urban governance rather supports urban metropolitan areas, than less economic developed regions. It is the city-regions that are seen as able to compete with other regions all over the world, where the importance of being a “global city”, represented by cosmopolitanism, culture, diversity, internationalization and most important as a financial center and as a headquarter for international firms that are promoted. These processes are characterized by market driven growth, flexibility, competitiveness but also larger economic disparities between regions and cities both nationally and internationally.

To adapt to the competitiveness discourse new territories and spaces are being created.  The concept of urban regeneration of a city or in this case a region to better its reputation has led to a shift away from being a provider welfare services to the importance of being someone in an international market by changing its image and reputation. In some cases by focusing on a larger urban area to create a different image as a metropolitan region represented by cosmopolitanism, culture, diversity but also by being innovative, learning and entrepreneurial. Policies and planning are enhancing urban economic development, by investments in infrastructure, new shopping areas, new neighborhoods, flagship projects, monuments but also by privatization of welfare services and public space. As a result there has been an increase in different place marketing techniques that aiming to better the image and the place brand of a certain region to attract investments, firms, visitors and new inhabitants to the region. Capital and investments are no longer as place bound as before which increase the competition between different places and a necessity to be as attractive as possible in an international market. New solutions such as New Public Management are therefore challenging more traditional political systems in the democracies of the western world. Public administration have more similarities with how firms and businesses are run by being dependent on the market, rather than being a provider of public services, democratic responsibility and public participation. The competitiveness discourse shapes territory and space, creating new and complex networks of relations between multiple actors in society, both private and public. This in turn makes it difficult for citizens to affect politics and the creation of space leaving little or no room for marginalized groups in society to participate. 

Based on two separately case studies of two essentially different regions, one administrative region, Värmland in Sweden and one informal, functional region “The 8 million city”, stretching from Oslo in the north to Copenhagen in the south, the practices  and techniques used in urban regeneration projects on the regional level will be presented.