Dr Valeria Guarneros-Meza

Biography

Valeria has been interested in studying local governance and citizen participation across different national contexts, especially in doing comparison between countries in the South and North.

In September 2008, she joined the Centre for Local and Regional Government Research to collaborate within the project ‘Learning to Improve’. This project was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in order to assess its policy for local government. Her doctoral research (awarded 2006) was on partnership and participation in Mexican urban governance. The research underlines the usefulness of multi level governance, as a framework for linking macro level processes (e.g. neoliberal reforms, decentralisation, democratisation) to local level policies and strategies. The thesis also explores how within the discourses of collaboration and citizenship, which support Mexico’s democratic consolidation at the local level, limitations are found when referring to more inclusive ways of participation.

Valeria has also been involved in analysing self-diagnostic models to promote citizen participation by local governments in England and Europe whilst being a researcher at Local Governance Research Unit, De Montfort University.