The rhetoric–reality gap of cities’ success: learning from the practice of Scottish cities

This paper argues that the shift from a top-down coordination of governments’ policies for the economies of cities towards the bottom-up self-organization of cities is not necessarily supported by appropriately competent local economic management capabilities and resources. In Scotland just before the advent of City Deals, various constraints in policy-making logic chains, data availability, accounting focus and planning coordination were found that continuously limit the efforts of cities in shaping a successful economy. For devolution to shape both national productivity growth and locally led success, the gap between rhetoric and reality must be narrowed substantially and quickly.