OECD Green Growth Studies Compact City Policies A Comparative Assessment
OECD Green Growth Studies Compact City Policies A Comparative Assessment

Author: OECD

Publisher: OECD Publishing

Published: 2012-05-14

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 9264167862

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This report is thus intended as “food for thought” for national, sub-national and municipal governments as they seek to address their economic and environmental challenges through the development and implementation of spatial strategies in pursuit of Green Growth objectives.

Urban China
Urban China

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2014-07-29

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 1464802068

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In the last 30 years, China’s record economic growth lifted half a billion people out of poverty, with rapid urbanization providing abundant labor, cheap land, and good infrastructure. While China has avoided some of the common ills of urbanization, strains are showing as inefficient land development leads to urban sprawl and ghost towns, pollution threatens people’s health, and farmland and water resources are becoming scarce. With China’s urban population projected to rise to about one billion – or close to 70 percent of the country’s population – by 2030, China’s leaders are seeking a more coordinated urbanization process. Urban China is a joint research report by a team from the World Bank and the Development Research Center of China’s State Council which was established to address the challenges and opportunities of urbanization in China and to help China forge a new model of urbanization. The report takes as its point of departure the conviction that China's urbanization can become more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable. However, it stresses that achieving this vision will require strong support from both government and the markets for policy reforms in a number of area. The report proposes six main areas for reform: first, amending land management institutions to foster more efficient land use, denser cities, modernized agriculture, and more equitable wealth distribution; second, adjusting the hukou household registration system to increase labor mobility and provide urban migrant workers equal access to a common standard of public services; third, placing urban finances on a more sustainable footing while fostering financial discipline among local governments; fourth, improving urban planning to enhance connectivity and encourage scale and agglomeration economies; fifth, reducing environmental pressures through more efficient resource management; and sixth, improving governance at the local level.

People and Politics in Urban America, Second Edition
People and Politics in Urban America, Second Edition

Author: Robert W. Kweit

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-26

Total Pages: 489

ISBN-13: 1135640505

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First Published in 1998. Approximately 75 percent of Americans live in cities and surrounding suburbs, and the characteristics of those cities inescapably affect the quality of their lives. This book examines the extent to which these Americans use the political process to control the characteristics of life in their metropolises. In addition, this second edition revision places great emphasis on the role of political leaders, while recognising the interdependence between those leaders and various interests in the city.

Understanding Urban Politics
Understanding Urban Politics

Author: Timothy B. Krebs

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-02-17

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1538105233

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In Understanding Urban Politics: Institutions, Representation, and Policies, Timothy B. Krebs and Arnold Fleischmann introduce a framework that focuses on the role of institutions in establishing the political “rules of the game,” the representativeness of city government, the influence of participation in local democracy, and how each of these features influences the adoption and implementation of public policies. Part 1 lays the groundwork for the rest of the book by exploring the many meanings of “urban,” analyzing what local governments do, and providing a history of American urban development. Part 2 examines the organizations and procedures that are central to urban politics and policy making: intergovernmental relations, local legislatures, and the local executive branch. Part 3 looks at elections and voting, local campaigns, and non-voting forms of participation. The four chapters in Part 4 focus on the policy process and the delivery of local services, local government finances, “Building the City” (economic development, land use, and housing), and policies affecting the quality of life (public safety, the environment, “morality” issues, and urban amenities). Krebs and Fleischmann bolster students’ learning and skills with guiding questions at the start of each chapter, which ends with key terms, a summary, discussion questions, and research exercises. The appendix and website aid these efforts, as does a website for instructors.

Smart Cities Policies and Financing
Smart Cities Policies and Financing

Author: John R. Vacca

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2022-01-19

Total Pages: 642

ISBN-13: 0128191317

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Smart Cities Policies and Financing: Approaches and Solutions is the definitive professional reference for harnessing the full potential of policy making and financial planning in smart cities. It covers the effective tools for capturing the dynamic relations between people, policies, financing, and environments, and where they are most often useful and effective for all relevant stakeholders. The book examines the key role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) - especially in information and communications technologies - in the design, development, and management of smart cities policies and financing. It identifies the problems and offers practical solutions in implementation of smart infrastructure policies and financing. Smart Cities Policies and Financing is also about how the implementation of smart infrastructure projects (related to the challenges of the lack of financing and the application of suitable policies) underlines the key roles of science, technology and innovation (STI) communities in addressing these challenges and provides key policies and financing that will help guide the design and development of smart cities. - Brings together experts from academia, government and industry to offer state-of- the-art solutions for improving the lives of billions of people in cities around the globe - Creates awareness among governments of the various policy tools available, such as output-based contracting, public-private partnerships, procurement policies, long-term contracting, and targeted research funds in order to promote smart infrastructure implementation, and encouraging the use of such tools to shape markets for smart infrastructure and correct market failures - Ensures the insclusiveness of smart city projects by adequately addressing the special needs of marginalized sections of society including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and inhabitants of informal settlements and informal sectors - Ensures gender considerations in the design of smart cities and infrastructure through the use of data generated by smart systems to make cities safer and more responsive to the needs of women - Demonstrate practical implementation through real-life case studies - Enhances reader comprehension using learning aids such as hands-on exercises, checklists, chapter summaries, review questions, and an extensive appendix of additional resources

Consumer Services and Economic Development
Consumer Services and Economic Development

Author: Colin C. Williams

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9780415145046

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Consumer Services and Economic Development evaluates the role of consumer services as motors for local economic development in contemporary advanced economies. The contributions that specific consumer service industries are making to local economic development are analysed. Tourism, sports, universities, retailing and the cultural industries are each examined in turn. Following this, the roles that the consumer services sector are playing in economic regeneration are investigated in a number of different contexts: a global city; several contrasting urban areas; and a rural locality. In each case, whether consumer services have taken a lead or supportive role in local economic development is surveyed, and their effectiveness in promoting economic regeneration is evaluated. This book dispels the common myth that consumer services are residual activities dependent upon other economic sectors for their vitality and viability. Providing a comprehensive overview and evaluation of the contributions of the consumer services sector to economic development, this book reveals the need for a fundamental reconceptualization of both the function of services in particular and economic development theory and practice more generally.