Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how mid-level bureaucrats in Southern cities mediate hybrid governance to enable multi-stakeholder coalitions in addressing urban informalities, exclusion, and displacement, offering insights for inclusive urban reform.

Paper long abstract:

Southern cities face profound challenges in delivering public services amid rapid urbanization, informality, and fragmented governance. While urban reform coalitions—comprising marginalized groups, NGOs, local authorities, and academics—are increasingly seen as vital for addressing these issues, their success often hinges on the role of state actors in mediating complex political and administrative landscapes. This paper shifts the analytical focus to interactions within the state, revealing how mid-level bureaucrats act as critical intermediaries in transforming formal institutions into functional service delivery systems.

Through a structured comparison of Bhopal and Lucknow—two Indian cities grappling with informality, exclusion, and low state capacity—the study uncovers how bureaucrats cultivate decisional autonomy while engaging productively with political actors and multi-stakeholder coalitions. Two mechanisms are central to this process: (1) vertical and horizontal coordination within fragmented administrative systems, and (2) mediation of the political economy of large infrastructure projects, balancing patronage demands with programmatic governance. These mechanisms enable bureaucrats to bridge gaps between elite policymakers, street-level implementers, and marginalized communities, fostering inclusive solutions to urban challenges.

The paper challenges the dichotomy between programmatic and patronage-based governance, demonstrating how hybrid arrangements can reconcile administrative capacity with political imperatives. By opening the black box of the state, it highlights the potential of bureaucratic intermediation to amplify marginalized voices, co-produce knowledge, and navigate power dynamics within urban reform coalitions. Ultimately, the study contributes to debates on inclusive urban futures by revealing how strategic intermediation can address informalities, conflicts, and displacement while promoting sustainable development in the Global South.