Governing a Green Urban Growth Machine: The Case of Kitakyushu Eco-Town, Japan

The restructuring of industrial cities takes various forms depending on local conditions and strategic choices. One approach to addressing this challenge is to link industrial park development with the circular economy. Some of these initiatives are led by local governments, creating a governance dilemma as they are expected to enable both public value creation and business profitability. This article examines the role of city government and its relationships with key stakeholders in building a green growth coalition around a recycling-oriented industrial area. The study employs a single-case study design focusing on Kitakyushu Eco-Town, Japan’s largest recycling-oriented industrial park. Particular attention is paid to the role of the city government as a key factor in the green growth coalition. The findings show that the City of Kitakyushu, through a range of policy measures, has played a decisive role in forming a growth coalition that has fostered green restructuring. However, the economic sustainability of this coalition remains highly contingent. Its success depends on local leadership and other endogenous factors, as well as on its connections to exogenous forces ranging from national government policies to global economic and technological trends.