The breakdown of the municipality as caring platform: lessons for co-design and co-learning in the age of platform capitalism

ABSTRACT

If municipalities were the caring platforms of the 19-20th century sharing economy, how does care manifest in civic structures of the current period? We consider how platforms – from the local initiatives of communities transforming neighbourhoods, to the city, in the form of the local authority – are involved, trusted and/or relied on the design of shared services and amenities for the public good. We use contrasting cases of interaction between local government and civil society organisations in Sweden and the UK to explore trends in public service provision. We look at how care can manifest between state and citizens and at the roles that co-design and co-learning play in developing contextually sensitive opportunities for caring platforms. In this way, we seek to learn from platforms in transition about the importance of co-learning in political and structural contexts and make recommendations for the co-design of (digital) platforms to care with and for civil society.     

Turnout,political strength,and cost efficiency in Spanish municipalities of the autonomous region of Galicia: Evidence from an alternative stochastic frontier approach

The scientific literature has used different theoretical arguments and methodological alternatives to attempt to demonstrate whether both electoral turnout and the strength of the incumbent majority influence the cost efficiency of municipal governments, reaching inconclusive results. We provide new arguments and employ a methodology that overcomes some of the limitations of the previous studies. Our research confirms a direct association between electoral turnout and municipal cost efficiency in the Spanish region of Galicia. Moreover, the strength of the incumbent majority has a significant negative effect on cost efficiency, contradicting the frequently used explanations that are based on government inaction or the common-pool problem.     

Evaluating the efficiency of local municipalities in providing traffic safety using the Data Envelopment Analysis

The purpose of this study was to estimate the relative efficiency of 197 local municipalities in traffic safety in Israel during 2004–2009, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). DEA efficiency is based on multiple inputs and multiple outputs, when their weights are unknown. We used here inputs reflecting the resources allocated to the local municipalities (such as funding), outputs include measures that reflect reductions in accidents (such as accidents per population), and intermediate variables known as safety performance indicators (SPI): measures that are theoretically linked to crash and injury reductions (such as use of safety belts). Some of the outputs are undesirable. Using DEA, the local municipalities were rank-scaled from the most efficient to the least efficient and required improvements for inefficient municipalities were calculated. We found that most of the improvements were required in two intermediate variables related to citations for traffic violations. Several DEA versions were used including a two-stage model where in the first stage the intermediate variables are the outputs, and in the second stage they are the inputs. Further analyses utilizing multiple regressions were performed to verify the effect of various demographic parameters on the efficiency of the municipalities. The demographic parameters tested for each local municipality were related to the size, age, and socio-economic level of the population. The most significant environmental variable affecting the efficiency of local municipalities in preventing road accidents is the population size of the local authority; the size has a negative effect on the efficiency. As far as we could determine, this is the first time that the DEA is used to measure the efficiency of local municipalities in improving traffic safety.     

A comparative analysis of place branding in Michigan and Ontario

Place branding has increasingly been adopted as a municipal initiative to change the trajectory of local economic development. Specifically, local municipalities and communities have used place branding not only as a response to the influence of globalization and neo-liberalism, but also economic challenges and restructuring. Like any other initiative, the ultimate goal is to enhance the economic and social well-being of local jurisdictions. Although a popular strategy, it is not clear if and how locally specific factors mediate the process. By comparing two cross-border geographical areas, this study attempts to identify how regional variability in the manifestation of political-economic forces, as well as geographical influences, affects the use of place branding at local scales. Every municipality in Michigan (n = 1774) and Ontario (n = 414) was systematically examined for the presence and message of local place brands as presented through logos and slogans. The comparative analysis demonstrated that Ontario’s municipalities utilized place branding to a greater extent, and that the dominant messages differ by region. Further, this analysis shows that – beyond political differences – geographical context appears to have an effect on both local place branding usage and message.     

IT Governance of Dutch Municipalities and Digital Information Management

Digitalization of information management has changed the archives sector in a short period of time and has significant implications for information processes within governmental organizations. In this article, the governance of such organizations is looked at from a business information technology (IT) alignment driven perspective, based on a case study conducted within two Dutch municipalities. The study shows that mature IT governance can have positive effects on digital document information management, because it leads to “desirable behavior in the use of IT.” Comparing the two municipalities, several findings become apparent. These concern effective management of input, for example through successful cooperation, and effective management of output of IT, for example by providing the needed digital services to citizens. Findings also are presented regarding the conjoint development of strategies by business and IT, mainly concerning the involvement of IT in decision making. Finally, findings surface concerning the positioning of decision-making authority, and whether that is clear to the personnel.     

Between suburbanisation and re-urbanisation: revisiting the urban life cycle in a Mediterranean compact city

The redistribution of population over larger regions progressively further away from the dense core seems to be the new feature of the (originally compact) Mediterranean cities. With the aim of better understanding the nature of the urban transition taking place in these cities, we studied the phenomenon of population redistribution in Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) in light of the city’s Urban Life Cycle (ULC). The research was carried out for a time frame of 60 years (1951–2011) using spatial analysis, correlation and multivariate statistics. Results reveal a phase of compact urban expansion occurring in the AMA until 1991, reflected in suburbanisation processes in the immediate proximity of the urban agglomeration. In the following period, the analysis showed signs of a period of transition difficult to interpret within the approach adopted by the ULC theory. A number of municipalities of the urban area experienced positive rates of population growth after decades of decline, while municipalities of the agglomeration and ring remain relatively stable. Altogether, these results can be interpreted as signs of a potential future re-urbanisation. The analysis performed provides insights on the debate over the future of Mediterranean cities, while demonstrating the advantages of adopting a multi-scale assessment methodology for identifying urban transitions.     

Pushing the envelope: market mechanisms for sustainable community development

This paper introduces market mechanisms for sustainable community development, an interdependent planning and implementation framework encompassing strategic directions, strategies, actors and instruments for municipal policy making. It examines how the economy influences the unsustainable development of local jurisdictions and how a coherent typology of strategies, actors and policy levers can move communities toward complementary environmental, social and economic outcomes. The paper illustrates a dichotomy between municipal decision making and embraces economic, social and environmental criteria for development of the built environment. It defines sustainable community development and analyzes research findings from senior decision makers in government, academic institutions, industry and non-profits. After critiquing ‘the market mechanism’ and identifying preferred approaches, the authors propose a typology that systematically aligns market signals with implementing sustainable community development policies.     

Are Cities Prepared for Autonomous Vehicles?

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Local government policies could affect how autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is deployed. In this study we examine how municipalities are planning for AVs, identify local characteristics that are associated with preparation, and describe what effects bureaucrats expect from the vehicles. We review existing plans of the 25 largest U.S. cities and survey transportation and planning officials from 120 cities, representative of all municipalities with populations larger than 100,000. First, we find that few local governments have begun planning for AVs. Second, cities with larger populations and higher population growth are more likely to be prepared. Third, although local officials are optimistic about the technology and its potential to increase safety while reducing congestion, costs, and pollution, more than a third of respondents worried about AVs increasing vehicle miles traveled and sprawl while reducing transit ridership and local revenues. Those concerns are associated with greater willingness to implement AV regulations, but there is variation among responses depending on political ideology, per capita government expenditures, and population density.

Takeaway for practice: Municipal governments’ future approaches to AV preparation will likely depend on the characteristics of city residents and local resources. Planners can maximize policy advancement if they work with officials in other cities to develop best practices and articulate strategies that overlap with existing priorities, such as reducing pollution and single-occupancy commuting.     

Spatial effects on local government efficiency

Little attention has been paid to the spatial pattern of local government efficiency. This paper intends to fill this gap by conducting an empirical analysis of a sample of 246 Italian municipalities over the decade 1998–2008. Municipal government efficiency is measured in terms of the speed of payments. Estimation results reveal that municipalities mimic the speed with which public spending is carried out by their neighbours. Political yardstick competition is found to be the source of mimicking behaviour in the speed of payments.     

Coping with water supply interruptions: can citizen voice in transdisciplinary research make a difference?

Despite explicit legal and policy commitments, many South African residents do not have reliable access to potable water. Resident dissatisfaction with municipal water service delivery is evidenced by frequent civil protests. We consider how gathering and understanding the lived experiences of citizens could influence official responses to water interruptions. We take a transdisciplinary, problem-focussed, research approach to the experience of, and responses to, water interruptions, reflecting on the limitations of research to effect change in the lived experience. As transdisciplinary research praxis increasingly seeks expression in social outcomes, it is vital to confront both opportunities and limitations.