Urban Pressures and Innovations: Sustainability Commitment in the Face of Fragmentation and Inequality

Local government innovations occur within environments characterized by high service‐need complexity and risk. The question of how broader environmental conditions influence governmental willingness or ability to innovate has been a long‐standing concern within organizational, management, and policy scholarship. Although wealth and education are robust predictors of the propensity to engage in a wide range of local sustainability activities, the linkages among governmental fragmentation, social inequality, and sustainability policies are not well understood. This study focuses on the conditions both within and across city boundaries in urban regions which inhibit adoption of sustainable development innovations. We utilize a Bayesian item response theory approach to create a new scale measuring sustainability commitment by local governments in the United States. The analysis finds service‐need complexity and capacity within local governments' organizational task environments have nonlinear influences on innovation in terms of both green building and social inclusion policy tools.     

科学与人文的价值关联

科学不仅具有重要的认识价值和技术价值，而且也具有重要的化价值和精神价值；反之，人不仅具有重要的化价值和精神价值，而且也具有重要的认识价值和技术价值。科学的价值和人的价值有着深刻的关联。     

The Commons: A Social Form that Allows for Degrowth and Sustainability

This theoretical article opens with the reconstruction of a value-critical argument which claims that capitalism is a form of society that is structurally unsustainable. The reason for this is the need for ever-increasing value production which stems from the core of capitalism (the commodity form, competition, profit maximization, private production) and its internal and external limits. Based on this, the article calls for a fundamental social transformation and positions the commons as a social form that has the potential to replace the commodity form as societal foundation. Constituted by social practices (commoning) that are based on voluntariness, autonomy and needs-satisfaction, commons do not have an inbuilt growth compulsion. Therefore, the article concludes, the commons may enable humanity to deal with the question of sustainability on the basis of social structures that include the possibility of a solution.     

The Cartography of Opportunity: Spatial Data Science for Equitable Urban Policy

As evidence of the contextual effects of place upon individual outcomes has become increasingly solid over time, so too have urban policies and programs designed to connect underserved people with access to spatial opportunity. To this end, many attempts have been made to quantify the geography of opportunity and quite literally plot it on a map by combining evidence from studies on neighborhood effects with spatial data resources and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Recently, these opportunity maps have not only become increasingly common but their preparation has been encouraged and facilitated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A closer look at the foundations and methods that underlie these exercises offers important lessons I examine the practice of opportunity mapping from both theoretical and methodological perspectives, highlighting several weaknesses of the common methods. Following this, I outline a theoretical framework based on Galster’s categorization of the mechanisms of neighborhood effects. Using data from the Baltimore metropolitan region, I use confirmatory factor analysis to specify a measurement model that verifies the validity of the proposed theoretical framework. The model provides estimates of four latent variables conceived as the essential dimensions of spatial opportunity: social-interactive, environmental, geographic, and institutional. Finally, I develop a neighborhood typology using unsupervised machine learning applied to the four dimensions of opportunity. Results suggest that opportunity mapping can be improved substantially through a better connection to the empirical literature on neighborhood effects, a multivariate statistical framework, and more direct relevance to public policy interventions.     

Coalitions and Conservation: Conditional Impacts of Coalitions on Ballot Measures for Open Space

Social scientists have long debated the impact of interest group coalitions on public policies. While views on coalition impacts range from dominance to impotence, an emerging perspective suggests that coalitions have impacts under certain conditions. In this paper, we join and expand that perspective by arguing that coalitions have a conditional impact on public policies through ballot measures. Specifically, we argue that coalitions will have greater impact on ballot measure outcomes in non‐presidential election years, when the stakes involved are high, and when the goals of the measure are diverse. We test these hypotheses with analyses of a dataset of over 2,400 ballot measures on spending for open space at the state and local level between 1988 and 2014. We find strong support for our hypotheses. The findings have implications for scholarly debates on interest groups and coalitions, for the role of ballot measures in American public policy, and for assessments of open space and conservation in American society.     

The Concept, Connotations and Theoretical Frame of Urban Systems Engineering

Based on the concept of urban development, definition of urban systems engineering （USE） was put forward as a methodology for dealing with problems in the process of optimal evolution of urban whole, which is under the guidance of combination of urban thoughts and system approaches. Then the connotations of USE were elaborated, making the viewpoint of space time as a research clue, city and development as two research themes, urban system, urban logic and urban institution as three research dimensions, and stages, rules, strategies and regulation of development as four research problems. Finally by making Wuli-Shili-Renli systems methodology as stand, the theoretical frame of USE was built.     

街政治理创新的公民参与机制——以北京市为例

随着社会转型和经济转轨速度的加快,我国城市街道事务管理的任务量和复杂性急剧增加,街政治理变革与创新势在必行。本文以公民参与和街道行政之间的生态互动关系为主线,依据"决策—实施—监督"的街政流程,对2007年北京市委社会工委成立以来街政治理的公民参与机制进行了案例分析。本研究发现,社区的公民参与及其组织形式塑造了街道公共决策的民主化机制,扮演着社区居民自组织服务或为其增能的角色,开辟了街政监督的公民社会路径,其在推动街政由低分权、封闭性、单向度管理,向开放式、参与型的公民治理转变的过程中,发挥着重要的作用。     

我国城市贫困儿童的现状、问题及对策

我国城乡二元结构的体制,在一定程度上导致了对我国城市贫困儿童问题的忽视。笔者在对武汉、西安、福建三地调研基础上得出以下结论:我国城市贫困家庭中的儿童的生存与发展现状并不乐观。我国城市反贫困政策在儿童保护方面仍存在许多缺陷,需要进一步完善。     

Urban commons and freedom of movement The housing struggles of recently arrived migrants in Rome

ABSTRACT

The arrival of migrants on Italian coasts following the so-called Arab Spring in 2011 has led to a multiplication of housing struggles. These struggles are widespread across the country and focus on the occupation of abandoned buildings and their transformation into collective housing spaces to provide an alternative to the formal reception system. This article will focus on the housing struggles in Rome, as the place with the highest number of occupations and the longest tradition of campaigns for the right to housing of migrants in the country. These struggles are the outcome of the encounter of recently arrived migrants with local solidarity movements and build on existing occupation movements and housing struggles. The article explores how the mobilizations over the right to housing intersect with issues such as the social appropriation of urban commons, the regeneration from below of unused areas, freedom of movement, and the contestation of Italian government policies on the relocation of migrants and refugees. The paper argues that housing struggles not only appropriate and regenerate urban commons, but also challenge the reception governance of migration and the policies of border control.     

成都统筹城乡户籍制度改革研究

成都统筹城乡户籍制度改革,是新中国成立以来最大规模的户籍制度改革。它以实现城乡统筹为目标,欲构建城乡一体的新形态,建立城乡均等的公共服务保障体系,城乡互动,共同发展。成都改革存在经济实力不强、法律政策体系不完善、农民问题和农村产权等需要解决的问题。统筹城乡发展和户籍制度改革是一个综合的过程,需要大力提升农村经济实力,加快户籍改革立法进程,规范农村产权流转,培育市民文化,各方面共同发展,相互促进以实现成都经济社会发展一体化。     

Private and public authority interactions and the functional quality of sustainability governance: Lessons from conservation and development initiatives in Tanzania

The changing shape of sustainability governance has been a key academic and policy concern in the past two decades, as part of a wider debate on the interactions between public and private authority in governing the economy, society, and the environment. In this article, we contribute to these debates by examining how these interactions operate locally and across jurisdictions in three conservation and development initiatives in Tanzania and what impact they have on the functional quality of sustainability governance. We find that clear division of responsibilities, coupled with material incentives for communities and equal and transparent distribution of benefits, are key positive contributors to functional quality. These factors underpin the complementary interactions (collaborative at the local level; institutional layering across jurisdictions) that are needed to successfully negotiate and implement the compromises needed to balance conservation and development goals. We also find that competitive dynamics are harmful to functional quality, especially those taking the form of local institutional duplication and of dominance by central government across jurisdictions. These tend to appear especially when sustainability initiatives involve multiple stakeholders with wide discrepancies in resources, interests, and power, which leads to compromises determined in a top-down manner.     

街政治理中的公民参与:现实意义与建设途径

本文以街政流程为线索,具体分析了街政治理中公民参与的现实意义。在此基础上,提出了加强新公民资格培育、拓殖社区参与公共领域等五条加强公民参与机制建设的对策建议。     

Knowledge,innovation and sustainability： The implementation of voluntary environmental policies in Greece： The case of environmental management systems

The paper focuses upon the issues of knowledge, innovation and sustainability concerning the implementation of voluntary environmental policies in Greece, and in particularly, through assessing the implementation of environmental management systems （EMS）. The first part of the paper refers to the theoretical background of EMS, presenting selected aspects from the approaches of the new economic geography and the new regionalism and from ecological modernization theory. In the second part, the implementation of EMS in Greece is highlighted, mainly focused on the profile of the enterprises, the sectoral and regional distributional pattern and the main problems during the implementation. The third part presents the main results of the empirical research on the impact of EMS implementation, concerning sustainability （e.g., water and energy savings, alternative renewable resources, sound waste management）, innovation （e.g., product or process innovation） and participation. The role of knowledge, during the process of implementation of EMS, is analyzed in the forth part of the paper. In the last part, recommendations for future policies are described, aiming at promoting strategies of EMS in urban areas and enchasing the role of local government.     

城镇化模式选择与城乡协调发展——区域发展与新农村建设的探讨

城乡协调发展，是“统筹城乡发展、统筹区域发展、统筹经济社会发展、统筹人与自然和谐发展、统筹国内发展和对外开放”的第一个统筹的表现形式和预期结果。当前，城镇化进程加快的同时，新农村建设进程正在不断加快，面临许多矛盾和问题，正确认识这些矛盾和问题、全面认识和选择合适的城镇化模式，才能真正解决这些矛盾和问题，推进城镇化和新农村建设进程，进而实现城乡协调发展。     

Free Wheel,Free Will! The Effects of Bikeshare Systems on Urban Commuting Patterns in the U.S.

Urban bikeshare systems have become increasingly popular in the U.S. in recent years. In this paper, I examine the effects of bikeshare systems on patterns of commuting to and from work in U.S. cities. To study this, I link cities across 2008 through 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) data and estimate the effects of bikeshare systems using both individual-level ACS records and city panel data. Event-study estimates suggest that bikeshare systems lead to a rise in bicycle commuting to and from work, and the effects of bikeshare systems are statistically and economically significant. I also find evidence of modal shifts after the introduction of bikeshare systems: While bicycle commuting rates increase, there is a decline in automobile commuting to and from work.     

转型期农民政治人格培育的困境与路径选择

农民在我国现代化建设事业中一直扮演着重要角色,转型社会时期农民现代政治人格的培育显得尤为重要.我国农民现代政治人格的培育在经济、政治、文化和社会方面均面临着一定的困境,因此其现代政治人格的培育将是一个长期的系统工程,需多方面的共同努力才能完成.培养农民现代政治人格的路径选择是:解决民生;发展民主;提升素质;畅通渠道.     

The Struggle for Recognition: Diplomatic Competition Between China and Taiwan in Oceania

The PRC and Taiwan are competing to gain diplomatic recognition from Pacific Islands states, a number of which recognise Taiwan and serve as a barrier to its international isolation. Since much of Oceania is in Australia’s sphere of influence, this struggle has often involved Canberra. This paper focuses on the intensifying conflict–with conclusions about the local political economic situations of the countries in Oceania that are most likely to switch recognition, the dilemmas that the issue poses for Australia and its alliance with the US, and the game theory of these auctions of diplomatic recognition. The rental of recognition is analysed as a “sovereignty business” in which some Pacific Islands states engage—similar to the offshore financial centres which are prevalent in the region. Anthony van Fossen is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences in the School of Arts, Media and Culture and member of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University. He has written extensively about the Pacific Islands, particularly in relation to its offshore financial centres and ‘sovereignty businesses’. His most recent book is South Pacific Futures: Oceania Toward 2050 (Brisbane: Foundation for Development Cooperation, 2005), the first comprehensive survey of expert views of the future of the region.     

当代中国经济社会变动与人大代表选举中城乡人口比例政策的演进

在人大代表选举中实行城乡人口比例政策,是我国普选产生人大代表的历史条件所要求的。在一定时期内按不同人口比例配备代表,不但反映了共和国国体的本质,而且标志着国家工业化的发展方向。随着中国经济体制改革、城市化、工业化和城乡一体化的发展,以及城乡人口的融合,城乡按相同人口比例选举人大代表的条件已基本成熟。新中国成立以来特别是改革开放以来实行普选的过程,一定意义上是个逐步实现城乡按相同人口比例选举人大代表的政策制定、调整及其实践的过程。在这一过程中,城镇化和非农业人口的发展,成为推动城乡人口比例政策改进和发展的主要经济社会动因。     

增量式基层民主：成都推进城乡一体化的恒久动力

深入推进城乡一体化是成都市近年来大力实施的一项重大战略。从大局和长远来看，推进城乡一体化的恒久动力问题值得认真思考，这种恒久动力来自增量式基层民主的发展。     

Pay to protect: Examining the factors of the use of market-based instruments for local water sustainability

Given the myriad of policy instruments aimed at enhancing water quantity conservation available to municipalities, what drives them to opt for a market-based instrument (MBI)? MBIs can be effective and efficient policy instruments to enhance water quantity conservation, but there is little known about why municipalities utilize them. This study hypothesizes that three contextual elements influence a municipality's use of an MBI: the natural, political, and structural environment. The results from two logistic regression models suggest that in a municipality suffering a higher drought level, both a conservative political environment and operating under a council-manager form of government (with the effect more pronounced under a non-council-manager form) will increase the likelihood that it will use an MBI to address water conservation.