Urban Greenspace Governance in Three Asian Cities—Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo—from Actor-Centered Power Perspectives

Abstract

This study applies the Actor-Centered Power (ACP) framework to analyze urban green-space governance in three Asian cities, focusing on how power is distributed and exercised among actors in the management of their representative multipurpose parks: Seoul Forest in Seoul, Da’an Forest Park in Taipei, and Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Conventionally used in large-scale forest governance in the Global South, ACP is extended here to East Asian cities of the Global North. This can provide nascent insight into how coercion, (dis)incentives, and information operate across different institutions. The study found that the initial formation of the parks was driven by potent actors through coercive measures in all three cities. While Seoul maintains centralized statutory governance under the national act, Taipei adopts a decentralized governance model that foregrounds subordinate actors, notably exemplified by the higher education-oriented foundation. This organization promotes citizen science involvement and community-based stewardship. Tokyo, by contrast, uses a public–private partnership model that supports private sector commercial collaboration. This comparative case study demonstrates that the ACP framework is well-suited for analyzing urban green-space governance, as it distinguishes between power subjects (potentates and subordinates) and power sources (coercion, incentives, and information), providing theoretical and managerial implications. Through the lens of the ACP framework, this study argues that distinct institutional arrangements produce divergent power configurations for urban green-space management even within similarly developed urban contexts.