Does City Governance Matter for the Urban Poor?

Decentralization has focused attention on city government but, at the same time, the growth of civil society means that urban governance is not limited to city government. Little attention has been paid, either in the literature or in practice, to the institutional and political processes which determine whether and how the poor benefit, or how the poor can influence the agenda of city governance. Drawing on studies of nine cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America, this paper identifies three broad areas which are of importance: a political system in which the votes of the poor count; a city government system with some capacity to deliver; and a dynamic civil society which can press the case of the poor. After reviewing what is involved in each of these areas, the paper identifies a number of specific policies and practices which impact on the urban poor.     

Capturing Land Value Increment to Finance Infrastructure Investment—Possibilities for South Africa

In the globalisation age, cities are the drivers of economic growth. However, sustainable economic growth demands considerable investment in infrastructure. South African cities face a triple challenge of eradicating historical infrastructure backlogs inherited from the Apartheid era, servicing and maintaining existing infrastructure and providing new infrastructure to stimulate economic growth. In the South African context, the provision of municipal infrastructure plays a critical role in eradicating sociospatial inequalities as part of an overall poverty reduction strategy. This places a huge burden on local governments in South Africa in particular as they face capacity constraints and challenges in terms of raising sufficient own revenue in order to finance infrastructure projects. This paper argues that in light of the South African government’s current infrastructure drive and the significant amount of public resources being spent on transport infrastructure upgrades, it is an opportune time to consider the impact of transport infrastructure investment in particular on land value and how this value can be captured to finance the provision of infrastructure at local level. The paper cautions though that any programme aimed at capturing betterment needs to be based on sound research and needs to take cognisance of the legislative, policy and economic context in South Africa.     

Valuing Social Resources or Capitalizing on Them? Limits to Pro-poor Urban Governance in Nine Cities of the South

Drawing on research in nine cities of Africa, Asia and Latin America, evidence of local-level networks and associational life is analysed, to assess where benefits accrue when they are harnessed in the interests of city governance. Adopting a critical approach to the concept of social capital, it is concluded that the social resources of the urban poor (family, kinship, social networks and community-level organization) are as much an asset for urban development institutions and processes as they are for the poor themselves. Although urban government and other development agencies may draw upon the social resources of poor communities and benefit from or respond to public action, this does not mean that they depend on them. Although public action is important to ensure local democracy, social capital, it is concluded, does not guarantee pro-poor governance.     

Discussion on the Compensated Urban Land Use

With economic reforms intensifying inChinese cities,urban land which providesthe basis for economic sectors and urban ac-tivities,has become an issue of commonconcern.In recent years,heated discussionshave been conducted between China's eco-nomics theorists and economic departmentson major issues related to the compensatedurban land use.The principle views are out-lined in subsequent paragraphs.     

Rethinking Patterns of South African Urban Growth: 1911–2001

This article discusses how South Africa’s population has shifted from being predominantly rural to predominantly urban since 1911. Using nearly 100 years of census data, urbanization trends are discussed and the relative percentage levels of the urban population living in the various settlement categories is examined. The nine largest centres are home to a disproportionately large share of the national urban population, relative to international norms, and have held this position for nearly 100 years. Despite this, it is noteworthy that population growth is taking place in absolute terms in all settlement categories and in rural areas. These growth patterns need to be seen within the context of national spatial development and urban development priorities.     

Public Cities,Public Scholars? Questioning Urban Policy and Research in Australia

This review examines relationships and tensions between urban research and policy impact, drawing on the inaugural Public Cities Lecture at the State of Australian Cities Conference 2015 in honour of the late Paul Mees. It examines the different ways Australian urban researchers are questioning, engaging with and contributing to public policy—and the relative influence of this work in relation to the range of other sources of information now seeming to dominate public debate. Despite a desolate funding environment and a hollowing of demand from government and political leaders for independent research, the varied forms of public scholarship canvassed in this review do suggest an evolution rather than atrophy of urban research in Australia. The question is how we advance, and equally importantly, critically evaluate our changing roles and contributions beyond the usual metrics of academic citations, to help inform, and reform, the parameters of policy debate and action.     

Urban Development in the Age of Globalization 2.0——The Transformation of West Cities and Impacts on Chinese Cities

如果把2008年之前的全球化称为“全球化1.0版”,那么2008年后的“全球化2.0版”正在显露出自己的特点.两者最重要的区别是,全球化1.0版是由西方国家市场力和政府力的结盟推动的,社会力被排除在全球化过程之外.全球化2.0版是对1.0版的修正,实质是社会力对市场力和政府力的抗争,迫使它们考虑全球化过程中社会的利益,并在一定程度上制约了资本的全球流动.这样的变化具有复杂的后果.在分析了全球化1.0版和全球化2.0版的异同,全球化2.0版形成的原因、特点及理论问题后,讨论新的全球化时期西方城市的转型,以及对中国城市产生的影响.     

Growing Out of Poverty: Does Urban Agriculture Contribute to Household Food Security in Southern African Cities?

The literature on urban agriculture (UA) as a food security and poverty alleviation strategy is bifurcating into two distinct positions. The first is that UA is a viable and effective pro-poor development strategy, and the second is that UA has demonstrated limited positive outcomes on either food security or poverty. These two positions are tested against data generated by the African Urban Food Security Network’s (AFSUN) baseline food security survey undertaken in 11 Southern African cities. At the aggregate level, the analysis shows that (1) urban context is an important predictor of rates of household engagement in UA—the economic, political, and historical circumstances and conditions of a city are key factors that either promote or hinder UA activity and scale; (2) UA is not an effective household food security strategy for poor urban households—the analysis found few significant relationships between UA participation and food security; and (3) household levels of earnings and land holdings may mediate UA impacts on food security—wealthier households derive greater net food security benefits from UA than poor households do. These findings call into question the potential benefits of UA as a broad urban development strategy and lend support to the position that UA has limited poverty alleviation benefits under current modes of practice and regulation.     

An Impact by the Leasing System of Urban Land upon Urban Development

1.The Process of Prac-ricing the Leasing System and ofUrban Land in ChinaThe land system and housing sys-tem are correlated and can not be sep-arated in any country or city.They ex-ert a tremendous influence on urbandevelopment.The policy of land assigned gratisand housing noncommercializationhad been carried out in China's cities     

Uganda’s Emerging Urban Policy Environment: Implications for Urban Food Security and Urban Migrants

In recognition of the challenges posed by Uganda’s rapid urbanization, the national government is in the process of developing a Uganda national urban policy (UNUP). The government is also preparing a “stringent” new national migration policy. Up to now, Uganda’s policy environment has ignored the urban dimensions of poverty and the food insecurity that accompanies it. Migration, an important driver of both urban poverty and urban food insecurity, has been poorly understood, and only international migration has been addressed. This paper explores the urban policy environment and the multilevel governance policy process in Uganda, in order to understand not only how new policies are being shaped by the government’s political priorities in the face of its weakening popular legitimacy and growing signs of urban discontent but also what potential entry points exist to influence policy making in Uganda in ways that might better support the needs of the nation’s growing numbers of urban food insecure, among them are internally displaced Ugandans.     

China Urban Land Management:Options for an Emerging Market Economy

This paper is the Executive Summary of a WorldBank Report with the subject of“China Urban Land Man-agement:Options for an Emerging Market Economy”,which was presented by a preparation mission headed byMr.Andrew Hamer,Principal Economist of the WorldBank,By the Permission of Mr.Hamer,we hereby pub-lish this paper in our journal.     

Cities in China, Striding into the New Century——Some Hard Thinking Done by Urban Planner

1.China Is Still Developing Country 1—1.The life expectancy of mankind today has beenprolonged much more than that in the past,so there areeven much more people who can enjoy life going beyondthe year of 2000 A.D.,though the term,"striding into thenew century"is imbued with imagination and craving.Nowit may be almost affirmative and lucky to say:we will hailfor ourselves the arrival of the 21st century. 1—2.Man has already created a vast amount of wealth(Including material and spiritual)from ancient times tothe present,and also been mastering more and more ad-vanced science and technology,As for how to approach theproblems concerning the future,nevertheless、the human al-ways assumes an attitude of vagueness and nearsightedness.In light of Chinese concept of philosophy,"have a foot hadplanted at the present and keep in view the future"is the ba-sic way and viewpoint to probe into matters of the future. 1—3. From the l980s to the 1990s China＇s economyhas brought about a new leap in the transformation     

Passing the Housing Policy Baton in the US: Will Cities Take the Lead?

Federal leadership and funding for affordable housing policy declined in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the commitment to low-income housing continues to wane and is accompanied by funding uncertainties as the federal government redefines its role as policy-maker. The federal withdrawal leaves a void in housing policy-making as yet unfilled by lower levels of government. Given the direct impact of housing availability and conditions on local communities, cities may be the most likely candidates to assume the primary role in affordable housing policy. Some policy analysts, however, argue that cities will not assume the lead role or spend local dollars on redistributive policy such as affordable housing programmes. This paper examines affordable housing policy in the inter-governmental context, the influence of inter-governmental factors on local housing commitment, and the potential for cities to fill the gap left by the federal government. The analysis uses US Census data combined with data from a mail survey of city housing professionals in a representative sample of US cities with populations of 25 000 or greater. The findings from the analysis show that many cities do spend local dollars on housing programmes, but that the decision to do so is influenced by inter-governmentalfactors. Moreover, the results suggest that states, not cities, are likely to assume the leadership role for affordable housing policy in the future.     

Ecological Ways to Design the Tropical Coastal Cities

Design with ecology has been a newtrend of design in the world due to the globalenvironmental issues.Tropical coastal cities need to bedesigned according to ecological principles thanks totheir high visual and ecological sensitivity.Ecological de-sign requires designers to respect environmental limita-tion and advantages and to create a diversity of habitat,and hence of opportunities for the coexistence of di-verse organisms (including man himself).This paper ex-pounds the characteristics of the approach,shows sometechniques and suggests the difficulties and some possi-ble ways for designing with ecology in China.     

The Turn to ‘New Regionalism’: South African Reflections

This article analyses critical policy implications for city-regional and national spatial frameworks in South Africa concerning the turn to new regionalism. International debates are reviewed concerning new regionalism, global city regions, the European Spatial Development Perspective and polycentric mega regions. In South Africa, there is a growing policy interest in the writings and implications of new regionalism as a base for rethinking urban and regional development policies. It is argued that the current depth of South African research and debate on issues raised by new regionalism is limited and that strategic planning for the building of Gauteng as a globally competitive city region is the most significant imprint of new regionalism on the South African policy landscape.     

An Exploration of the Plan to Charge Fees for Land Use in Nanjing

In recent years,although some citieshave been conducting experiments on landpricing system the problem of how to chargethem in a reasonable and effective way stillremains unsolved.This delaysimplementation of land pricing system in thecities.We are trying to discuss in the article     

The Problems of Industrial Land Use in Chinese Cities and Counter—Measures

The concentration of Industries In cities is a commonphenomenon In the course of urhanlzatlon.The reason isIballhe concenlralbn orsndustrles wsuob重alnlhe‘乞concen-traied conomlc returns.” The concentration ofindustriesincities has occupied more land for indutrial use ifthe industri-al land use makes up a very low proportion in the total landuse In cities,the concentrated e门Dciency can not be broughtinto play.Ifthe Proportion is too big,land for other func-nons will be squeezed out,thus affecting the full play of theoverall functions of＊theons urban land.The unreasonable indus-trial land used now exists in Chinese cities.     

World Cities Are Just “Basing Points for Capital”: Interacting with the World City from the Global South

There has been a substantial and continuous critique of the world city concept for several years now. One of the main thrusts this critique is taking is that the world city literature is insensitive to urbanisation processes in the global south and builds its theoretical advances on the empirical examples and perspectives of the global north. This paper traces the origins of world city research before examining the more recent critique of this extensive literature on world cities. The main argument is that the concept of the world city as developed by many prominent writers on the topic is not a recent resurgence of modernisation theory in urban studies, as implicitly submitted by its critics. Instead, it is not only conceptually relevant in the context of third world urbanisation, but provides ample room for critical evaluations of urban development in Africa and the global south more generally.     

Preparation for the Urban Transport Development of China in the Twenty—First Century

Urban transport construction of thosedays should provide favourable conditionsfor cities to enter the twenty-first century.Itshould not be considered as too early to dis-cuss this issue now.What will our cities looklike by the turn of the century Based on thestrategic goal of developing our socialisteconomy in three phases,we shall have at-tained the objectives set for the secondphase by the end of this century:our peoplewill have enjoyed fairly good living stand-