Governance

In a general sense, governance refers to the steering and regulatory framework of a society. Various interests of public and private stakeholders are being negotiated and implemented within this framework. In the European context, steering and regulating territorial development is no longer the sole responsibility of the state. Increasingly corporate stakeholders and the public (associations, interest groups, citizen groups, media etc.) are becoming part of the process, communicating through formal and informal networks. Parcipatory approaches are a crucial element of governance processes.
Source: Partizipation und nachhaltige Entwicklung in Europa