Co-creation: the new kid on the block in public governance

Authors:
Christopher Ansell University of California at Berkeley, USA

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Jacob Torfing Roskilde University, Denmark

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Article Category:
Research Article
Copyright:
© Policy Press 2021
Online Publication Date:
19 Feb 2021
Pages:
211–230
Publisher:
Policy Press
Volume/Issue:
Volume 49: Issue 2
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1332/030557321X16115951196045
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This article has three objectives. The first is to show that while co-production was originally tied to service production, co-creation has broader applications in the field of public governance and involves a broader range of actors and activities. The second objective is to demonstrate how the co-creation concept both builds on and extends the concept of collaborative governance, thus adding new dimensions to an already well-established literature. The final objective is to show how a strategic turn to co-creation introduces a new type of ‘generative governance’ aimed at solving complex problems by constructing platforms enabling the formation of arenas for co-creation that bring together a plethora of public and private actors, including citizens, in creative problem-solving processes. The three objectives are achieved through prospective theoretical analysis aimed at providing a conceptual foundation for analysing cutting-edge societal developments that are not yet commonplace.

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Christopher Ansell University of California at Berkeley, USA

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Jacob Torfing Roskilde University, Denmark

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cansell@berkeley.edu
jtor@ruc.dk

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