Environmental Auditing and Management in Local Government

New holistic approaches to environmental management by local authorities are described. Two kinds of audit, the state of the environment report and the internal audit, are defined. State of the environment reports are assessments of the condition of the local environment, generally based on existing data. They provide information about the environment to the general public and enable councils to determine environmental strategy priorities. They are giving local authorities a new environmental stewardship function. An internal audit is an assessment not only of the authority's impacts as a producer but of its environmental interactions as a regulator, influencer and manager of the environment. For some councils, auditing is becoming a continuous process through which environmental factors can be taken into account as a routine part of policy making and implementation.
Both kinds of audit are changing the relationships of local authorities, reducing internal departmentalism and leading to wider consultation and partnership with local communities.     

TOO LITTLE,TOO LATE: The Politics of Local Complacency

ABSTRACT: Contemporary regime analysis has increasingly taken on a comparative dimension. Bristol, England, illustrates the politics of regime building and, in a traditionally conservative and affluent city, the attenuated processes of interest coalescence. The discussion illustrates the susceptibility of an emergent English regime to external forces: a changing economic environment, the weakening of traditional authority, the oppressive nature of central/local relations, and the imposition of formalized competition for resources. Regime formation in England has taken place within the context of the transfer of power from local democratic government to less accountable forms of local governance. The presence of a “new magistracy” in urban governance (analogous to the local notables of traditional community power), together with the institutionalization of interurban competition, gives a distinct English flavor to the growing literature on European regime formation and offers an explanation for the belated emergence of a new urban regime in Bristol.     

The Politics of Enacting State Legislation to Enable Local Impact Fees: The Pennsylvania Story

Although Lillydahl et al. advocate the passage of state enabling legislation to clearly establish municipal authority to collect impact fees, the literature does not provide guidance for achieving this goal. The evolution of Pennsylvania's statute suggests that the following factors affect a bill's content and success: (1) the proportion of legislative districts confronting the problems of rapid growth; (2) the ability of interest groups to conduct effective grass roots campaigns; (3) the use of floor amendments to “catch the opposition off guard;” (4) effective communication between a bill's negotiators and its supporters; and (5) the appearance of flexibility on the part of the bill's supporters.     

Global Change And Local Politics: Economic Decline and the Local Regime in Edmonton

ABSTRACT: The literature on urban politics shows the global economy has a massive influence on local decisionmaking and that the character of local politics varies markedly from city to city. Less attention is devoted, however, to the relative impact of global and local forces on a particular city. This paper addresses that gap by testing the views of Peterson, Mollenkopf and Stone against a case study. The Edmonton case study provides an ideal research setting: economic reversal followed by a series of abject capitulations to the pressures of developers who promised to restore some of the lost business. The economic reversal is shown to have been externally generated. The local response is examined with a view to determining what maneuvering room remained in the face of these circumstances. The author argues that the ultimate effect of externally generated pressures was not predetermined, but was mediated by a complex local political process that could have taken a different course. The theoretical importance of the case is discussed and evaluated.     

State Environmental Planning and Local Influence: A Comparison of Three Regional Natural Resource Management Agencies

Case studies of three regional natural resource management agencies in New York reveal different histories despite similar objectives. The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) enjoyed overwhelming statewide support and survived despite vigorous local opposition. The Catskill Commission faced similar local opposition and was discontinued by the state legislature. The Tug Hill Commission survived through a combination of limited statewide interests and a strategy of building local support. Centralized regulatory approaches like the APA's may be transferable to other regions only under certain conditions. Otherwise, as the Catskill and Tug Hill cases suggest, more responsiveness to differing local viewpoints may be necessary.     

Environmental Management of Landfill Sites

The paper reviews various options adopted in the UK for engineered protection measures aimed at preventing pollution to the environs of landfill sites. The advantages and limitations of both natural and synthetic lining materials are discussed, recognizing the constraints posed by the geometry and geology of prospective landfill sites. Particular attention is given to the Environmental Safety Centre experience with techniques designed to minimize both leachate and gaseous emissions, and hence prevent pollution of ground and surface waters, and reduce hazards to nearby property. Options for operational practices and restoration procedures are discussed in relation to the control of degradation processes and polluting potential. Included in these options are design and operation of leachate and gas collection/treatment systems, phasing of landfilling operations, and progressive restoration of sites. Monitoring requirements are emphasized as a vital measure of the success or failure of site designs and operational practices in ensuring that appropriate environmental protection is achieved and maintained.     

泰国性策略

建筑长久以来被认为是居住者精神和特性的重要体现。当我们在全球化时代中经历着极端的流动性时,我们在哪里以及与之直接相关的我们是谁的观念变得越来越模糊。简而言之,建筑作为个人和文化身份表达的观念陷入了从未有过的困境。但是,当我们更细致地观察时,我们开始发现日常生活中的细微差别仍然根植于文化之中。我们体内的泰国性仍然在各种方面起作用,许多文化和艺术作品强烈地表现出这种感觉。本文将研究这些揭示出泰国性诗意的多样方式。