This book highlights the need to boost infrastructure investment in cities as also the necessity for fiscal management across all levels of government-within the context of decentralizing service delivery responsibilities. The volume provides case studies reflecting various viewpoints and a range of success and failure stories from five countries. The topics covered include: - Impact of political and fiscal decentralization - Limitations on borrowing - Managing moral hazard - The role of the financial sector in striking a balance between controls and encouraging the local government to maintain fiscal discipline
A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.
Finance for City Leaders presents an up-to-date, comprehensive, and in-depth analysis of the challenges posed by rapid urbanization and the various financing tools municipalities have at their disposal.
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
Dr.A.Thasil Mohamed, Application Architect, Compunnel, Inc NJ, USA. Dr.S. SanthoshKumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India.
This book provides information that facilitates integrated climate actions in cities, leveraging disruptive technologies, business models, policies, financing, and leadership solutions. It fosters the development of climate smart and wise cities. It reviews the major developments of climate actions in cities and combines climate environment and energy technology, policy and financing instruments. A range of distinguished authors assess the experiences thus far and also consider future development from both theoretical and practical perspectives. They also discuss many policy and technical options, including climate smart and wise city planning, inclusion of urban nature, international and national carbon market mechanisms and measuring its impact and digital transformation. Moreover, attention is paid to the role of natural principles, the role of transparency principles and to aspects of democratic climate governance within a climate action scheme. This book makes clear that the carbon neutrality, sustainability, circularity, efficiency, connectivity and resiliency of cities depend to a large extent on the specific digital technologies and the leadership reshaping our cities. Discussing multidisciplinary aspects of climate action, this book offers new insights to academics, policymakers and practitioners both in the public and private sectors. Those insights are not only retrospective, relevant for understanding the past, but they are also prospective and forward-looking, guiding the achievements of the SDGs and the climate goals.
