Fiscal Decentralization and Urban Public Transport
Fiscal Decentralization and Urban Public Transport

Author: Giorgia Favero

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13:

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Financing public transport through public funds is a common practice that can be justified on different grounds: equity, natural monopoly and, particularly with the increasing motorization rate, externalities produced by private transport (congestion, pollution, road accidents) especially in urban areas. In addition, there is a belief that transport investments support economic growth, in particular transit investments because they help fostering the agglomeration effect. Whether local or national tax sources should be used for subsidizing public transport is a fairly recent question, at least in Europe where, historically, countries used to be very centralized. Several national policy reviews as well as academic papers suggest that the reforms aiming at decentralizing power and responsibility for urban public transport management lead to successful outcomes. Yet, there is no literature on the effects of decentralization of tax raising on public transport provision although an increasing number of subnational governments reports a mismatch between transferred resources and devolved responsibilities and the public finance literature indicates that decentralization of finance authority can improve the results of decentralization reforms.

Urban Decentralization and the Role of Public Transportation
Urban Decentralization and the Role of Public Transportation

Author: Arnold Jay Bloch

Publisher:

Published: 1981

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

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An examination of the relationship between mass transit and decentralization of population and employment in urban areas of the United States with case studies of Boston, Rochester, San Jose and Tampa. Policy recommendations are included.

The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Urban Agglomeration
The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Urban Agglomeration

Author: Alfred M. Wu

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 47

ISBN-13:

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In the literature on urban studies, the size distribution of cities has been attributed to a random growth process where transportation externalities, congestion costs, and capital formation all play a crucial role. However, the classic economics models do not fully capture the impact of political institutions, particularly fiscal decentralization, on urban size distribution and fail to explain the political economy of urban agglomeration. As a major transitional economy, China's economic decentralization, in conjunction with political control, portends a more complex environment for urban agglomeration and offers a new ground to analyze its institutional roots and policy implications. This study employs a panel data analysis of Chinese provinces between 1994 and 2015 and finds a pattern where more decentralized regions (provinces) are associated with stronger dominance of large cities for the whole study period. However, the period between 1994 and 2003 displays a different pattern wherein fiscal decentralization is negatively associated with urban agglomeration. Such phenomena can be attributed to the heated competition among local governments and the absorption of resources by dominant cities under the framework of fiscal decentralization in China, particularly in the recent years. More effective coordination is called upon to mitigate the unintended outcome of fiscal decentralization without proper control in shaping urban hierarchy in China and the findings provide lessons for other developing countries.

Mobilizing urban infrastructure finance within a responsible fiscal framework : South African case
Mobilizing urban infrastructure finance within a responsible fiscal framework : South African case

Author: Philip Van Ryneveld

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 17

ISBN-13:

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Abstract: Since South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994, it has given significant attention to building an effective system of decentralization including provincial and local government. While provincial governments are responsible mainly for the implementation of social services such as health and education, the provision of much of the urban infrastructure is the responsibility of local government. Although many challenges remain, the country has made significant progress over the past decade in addressing urban service backlogs in poor areas. At the same time, it has greatly improved macroeconomic fundamentals. The system of financing local government seeks to place accountability firmly at the local level, with most revenues in the larger urban centers raised locally through a combination of local taxes and fees for services, while poorer regions are predominantly grant funded. The objective has been to encourage the financing of capital infrastructure through local borrowing based on sustainable, transparent local finances rather than national repayment guarantees, which are outlawed. There is some indirect subsidization of loans through the state-owned Development Bank of Southern Africa. But the emphasis is on achieving redistribution through transparent, formula-based grants paid directly from national to local governments. While further bedding down of the system is needed, the approach is proving largely successful. The paper concludes by recommending that the existing division between provinces as providers of social services and local governments as the key locus of responsibility for services related to the built environment should be strengthened, particularly through the devolution of more urban transport related functions. A number of key risks are also highlighted, including issues related to the reform of local business taxes.

Fiscal Decentralization Reforms
Fiscal Decentralization Reforms

Author: Michal Plaček

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 3030467589

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This book examines the impacts of fiscal decentralization reforms on the efficiency of local governments in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. By offering a comparative perspective and by applying econometric methods and regression models, it analyses various reform trajectories and their effects on individual CEE countries. Furthermore, the book discusses input and output indicators for evaluating the efficiency of municipalities. Readers will learn about the common features of these countries, the impact of path dependence, and future prospects for decentralization reforms. In closing, the book discusses modern management and administration methods, opportunities for cooperation between municipalities, co-creative service delivery, and other measures that could improve the efficiency of public service provision.

Managing and Financing Urban Public Transport Systems
Managing and Financing Urban Public Transport Systems

Author: George M. Guess

Publisher: Central European University Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13:

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"This book compares the institutions and regulatory contexts in which transit systems operate, the operations and management problems with which they must contend, and the policy options and solutions which they have implemented."--BOOK JACKET.

Sustainable Urban Transport Financing from the Sidewalk to the Subway
Sustainable Urban Transport Financing from the Sidewalk to the Subway

Author: Arturo Ardila-Gomez

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2015-12-31

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 1464807574

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Urban transport systems are essential for economic development and improving citizens' quality of life. To establish high-quality and affordable transport systems, cities must ensure their financial sustainability to fund new investments in infrastructure while also funding maintenance and operation of existing facilities and services. However, many cities in developing countries are stuck in an "underfunding trap" for urban transport, in which large up-front investments are needed for new transport infrastructure that will improve the still small-scale, and perhaps, poor-quality systems, but revenue is insufficient to cover maintenance and operation expenses, let alone new investment projects. The urban transport financing gap in these cities is further widened by the implicit subsidies for the use of private cars, which represent a minority of trips but contribute huge costs in terms of congestion, sprawl, accidents, and pollution. Using an analytical framework based on the concept of "Who Benefits Pays," 24 types of financing instruments are assessed in terms of their social, economic and environmental impacts and their ability to fund urban transport capital investments, operational expenses, and maintenance. Urban transport financing needs to be based on an appropriate mix of complementary financing instruments. In particular for capital investments, a combination of grants †“from multiple levels of government†“ and loans together with investments through public private partnerships could finance large projects that benefit society. Moreover, the property tax emerges as a key financing instrument for capital, operation, and maintenance expenses. By choosing the most appropriate mix of financing instruments and focusing on wise investments, cities can design comprehensive financing for all types of urban transport projects, using multi-level innovative revenue sources that promote efficient pricing schemes, increase overall revenue, strengthen sustainable transport, and cover capital investments, operation, and maintenance for all parts of a public transport system, "from the sidewalk to the subway."

Urban Development Debates in the New Millennium
Urban Development Debates in the New Millennium

Author: Kulwant Rai Gupta

Publisher: Atlantic Publishers & Dist

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9788126903894

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This Collection Of Essays By Academics And Practitioners From Around The World Underscores Issues And Concerns Of Sustainable Urban Development And Best Practices In Terms Of Theory As Well As Praxes. Contributors Have Made An Attempt To Critically Reconcile The Hypothetical With The Applied In Order To Arrive At Innovative Solutions For Urban Good Governance In The Context Of The Steady Proliferation Of Habitats And Conurbations All Over The World. Their Papers More Often Than Not Transcend Regional Specifics To Address The Common Agenda Of Urban Development Debates As Informed By Assorted Modernization Perspectives In The 21St Century. This Volume Brings Together Social Scientists, Development Consultants And Nonprofit Professionals So That Multipositional Theories And Multicultural Praxes Might Be Reflected In Their Papers Based On Empirical Research And Field-Level Insights. It Is Expected That This Volume Will Provoke Fresh Debates And New Ideas That Will Facilitate Theory-Building As Well As Formulation Of Paradigms For Good Practices And Sustainable Urban Applications. The Book Would Be Found Highly Useful By Town Planners, Municipal Administrators, Ngos Working In The Field Of Urban Development And Common Readers Interested In Urban Problems And Policies. It Will Be Equally Valuable For Policy Makers As Well As Students, Researchers And Teachers Of Urban Economics, Urban Sociology, Urban Geography And Public Administration.