Local Politics: A Practical Guide to Governing at the Grassroots

Local Politics: A Practical Guide to Governing at the Grassroots

Author: Terry Christensen

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-12-18

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 1317465830

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Unlike most competing texts that are densely written and heavily theoretical, with little flavor of political life, this book is a readable, jargon-free introduction to real-life local politics for today's students. While it encompasses local government and politics in cities and towns across America, "Local Politics: A Practical Guide to Governing at the Grassroots" gives special attention to the politics of suburbia, where many students live, and encourages them to become engaged in their own communities. The book is also distinguished by its strong emphasis on nuts-and-bolts practical politics. It provides focused discussion of institutions, roles, and personalities as well as the dynamic environment of local politics (demographics, immigration, globalization, etc.) and major policy issues (budgets, land use, transportation, education, etc.). Other texts treat communities as abstractions and readers as passive observers. "Local Politics: A Practical Guide to Governing at the Grassroots" is designed to inspire civic engagement as well as understanding. It features "In Your Community" research projects for students in every chapter along with informative tables, clear charts, essential terms, and guides to useful websites.


Cities in Transition

Cities in Transition

Author: Nirmala Rao

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2008-01-07

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 1134332610

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This is an up-to-date and topical treatment of how six major cities in Europe, North America and Asia are coping with the new demands on urban government. Population expansion, the migration of new peoples and disparities between cities and suburbs are longstanding features of the urban crisis. Today, city governments also face demands for popular participation and better public services while they struggle to position themselves in the new world economy. While each of the cities is located in its unique historical setting, the emphasis of the book is upon the common dilemmas raised by major planning problems and the search for more suitable approaches to governance and citizen involvement. A principal theme is the re-engineering of institutional structures designed to foster local responsiveness and popular participation. The discussion is set in the context of the globalizing forces that have impacted to different degrees, at different times, upon London, Tokyo, Toronto, Berlin, Hyderabad and Atlanta. Cities in Transition is a major and original addition to the comparative literature on urban governance.


Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto

Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto

Author: Brian Doucet

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2022-03-01

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1487510195

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When looking at old pictures of Toronto, it is clear that the city’s urban, economic, and social geography has changed dramatically over the generations. Historic photos of Toronto’s streetcar network offer a unique opportunity to examine how the city has been transformed from a provincial, industrial city into one of North America’s largest and most diverse regions. Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto studies the city’s urban transformations through an analysis of photographs taken by streetcar enthusiasts, beginning in the 1960s. These photographers did not intend to record the urban form, function, or social geographies of Toronto; they were "accidental archivists" whose main goal was to photograph the streetcars themselves. But today, their images render visible the ordinary, day-to-day life in the city in a way that no others did. These historic photographs show a Toronto before gentrification, globalization, and deindustrialization. Each image has been re-photographed to provide fresh insights into a city that is in a constant state of flux. With gorgeous illustrations, this unique book offers an understanding of how Toronto has changed, and the reasons behind these urban shifts. The visual exploration of historic and contemporary images from different parts of the city helps to explain how the major forces shaping the city affect its form, functions, neighbourhoods, and public spaces.


Blue-green Province

Blue-green Province

Author: Mark Winfield

Publisher: UBC Press

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0774822368

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In Blue-Green Province, Mark Winfield takes a long overdue look at the crucial relationship between Ontario’s environmental policy and its politics and economy. Covering the period from the Progressive Conservative "dynasty" that dominated Ontario politics from the mid-1940s to the mid-1980s, through the subsequent Peterson, Rae, Harris, Eves, and McGuinty governments, Winfield offers a trenchant analysis of the effects on Ontario’s environment and politics of these administrations’ dramatically different ideologies. Timely and original, Blue-Green Province is the first comprehensive study of environmental policy in Ontario. It will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in Ontario’s environmental and economic future.


Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment

Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13:

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This manual provides direction for the preparation of noise and vibration sections of environmental documents for mass transportation projects. The manual has been developed in the interest of promoting quality and uniformity in assessments. It is expected to be used by people associated with or affected by the urban transit industry, including Federal Transit Administration (FTA) staff, grant applicants, consultants and the general public. Each of these groups has an interest in noise/vibration assessment, but not all have the need for all the details of the process. Consequently, this manual has been prepared to serve readers with varying levels of technical background and interests. It sets forth the basic concepts, methods and procedures for documenting the extent and severity of noise impacts from transit projects.