Chapter 5 ‘Are you taking notes on us?’ Reflections on case study research in urban environments

This chapter explores and reflects on the utility and validity of case study research in urban environments, illustrated by a number of key methodological issues that arose during case study research in Ireland into the nature and extent of public participation in urban regeneration partnerships (Muir, 2003). The chapter begins by reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of a case study approach in urban studies. It is proposed that case studies are a particularly useful research design for analysing complex, spatially based subjects which may require some flexibility during the research process in order to respond to changing events. The more problematic issues of generalisability and validity are also addressed.