Municipal Development Research Articles

ЦИФРОВАЯ ЭКОСИСТЕМА МОНОПРОФИЛЬНОГО МУНИЦИПАЛИТЕТА: ОСОБЕННОСТИ, ПРИНЦИПЫ ФУНКЦИОНИРОВАНИЯ И СТРУКТУРА

This scientific article reveals the theoretical aspects of the essence and construc-tion of the digital ecosystem of a single-profile municipal formation. The signifi-cant role of digitalization is shown to increase the efficiency of the functioning of a single-industry municipality, improve operational efficiency, develop innova-tion and attract investment, as well as improve interaction with the population. The analysis of modern approaches to the essential characteristic of the "digital ecosystem" allowed us to propose an author's interpretation of the term "digital ecosystem of a municipal formation", to present its structure through a complex of interacting variators. The forms of interaction of participants in the digital eco-environment of the municipality were systematized, and the principles that underlie the communications of the main participants were developed to ensure a comprehensive effect and opportunities for the development of the territory. It was concluded that the introduction of digital technologies can become an im-portant success factor for the development of a single-industry municipality and increase its competitiveness, which served as the basis for highlighting methods for evaluating the effectiveness of forms of interaction between the parties.

Conditions and factors of development of regions of the Arctic zone of Yakutia

In 2020, the republic was one of the first in the country to adopt a regional strategy for the development of the Arctic regions for the period up to 2035. The strategy is ambitious and covers all measures to solve infrastructural tasks and implement large-scale investment projects in the Arctic, but its main goal is to sustainably ensure an increase in the standard of living and quality of life of the residents of the Arctic regions. In recent years, the Arctic theme has received significant development in the works of the scientific community and in all spheres of activity, including economic. The relevance of the research topic is due to the insufficient study of the issues of socio-economic development of Arctic municipalities. In this regard, there was a need to study the conditions and factors of development of the districts of the Arctic zone of Yakutia. The subject of the study is the socio-economic development of the Arctic districts of Yakutia, divided into 5 groups. Each group of Arctic regions has its own logistics and points of growth. Of particular interest are the Anabarsky and Oleneksky districts, these are the districts of the Anabar group, where large-scale industrial development is planned. The analysis of the socio-economic situation of the Anabar group of districts has revealed the problems typical for all Arctic districts of Yakutia. The research material was based on official data of the Territorial Body of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in particular, the database of municipal districts.

Cultural tourism and indigenous languages: fostering economic development in Polokwane Local Municipality

This paper explores the potential role of indigenous languages in fostering local economic development through cultural-tourism within the Polokwane Local Municipality. As a region rich in cultural diversity and indigenous heritage, Polokwane presents a unique opportunity to leverage its linguistic and cultural assets for sustainable economic growth. This paper discusses how the incorporation of indigenous languages can contribute to various aspects of local economic development, including tourism, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and community engagement. Therefore, this conceptual paper uses a traditional literature review and secondary data analysis techniques to discuss trends of research on the relationship between indigenous language, cultural tourism and local economic development.

Exploration of financial tax system in the context of big data

Abstract The financial tax system is related to the actual effectiveness of a country’s modernized economic development and has a close relationship with the country’s economic enhancement. To examine the causal effects between potential variables in the tax system, this paper constructs a measurement model of financial tax system variables using Bayesian structural equations. Parameter estimation for SEM is completed by adding prior information to the sample data and calculating the posterior distribution of relevant parameters using Bayes’ theorem. The correlation between financial taxation and economic development is calculated to indicate whether there is consistency in financial taxation on economic efficiency. Cronbach’s coefficient is used to measure the degree of consistency and stability of each part of the financial tax index system. The results show that the impact value of personal tax is 0.71, 0.37 and 4.18 in provinces C, A and B. Promoting economic development in provinces and municipalities with a better degree of economic development is aided by the current personal income tax sharing ratio. Reducing the proportion of indirect taxes while keeping the macro tax burden unchanged results in a gradual increase of the proportion of personal income tax in total tax revenue from 8.7% to 18.7%. The research in this paper further improves the financial tax system and provides an effective method to improve economic efficiency.

Ecological and climatic challenges facing documents of local development strategies (on the example of Lower Silesian municipalities in Poland)

The paper presents the results of a study on how global climate change is reflected in local development strategies. The study included 173 Lower Silesian municipalities and is one of those rarely undertaken in the Polish literature. They were based on original studies of local development strategies carried out between 2016 and 2022, as well as interviews with those responsible for preparing and updating these documents. The research covered 250 local development strategies developed for 173 Lower Silesian municipalities (existing and updated). The authors briefly discussed the importance of development strategies in the functioning of municipalities and local communities. The main formal and substantive mistakes made in such documents are also presented. The main element of the presentation was the ways (forms) and the extent to which global climate change is reflected in municipal development strategies. The study has confirmed the main hypothesis that global climate change is insufficiently addressed at the local level in the analysed municipalities.

Turbulent Events Effects: Socioeconomic Changes in Southern Poland as Captured by the LSED Index

Today’s generations live in uncertain times. The inflation of violent and unpredictable events over the last two decades, such as the economic crisis or COVID-19 pandemic, has affected the functioning of regions and the daily lives of their residents. Therefore, the socioeconomic level has to be monitored. This article fills the research gap regarding the identification of the impact of recent turbulent events on the development of municipalities in southern Poland. The specific goal is to identify trends in socioeconomic changes in times of change and uncertainty from 2006 to 2021 in 450 municipalities in Małopolskie, Śląskie, and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeships. The research defined model and problem areas among the municipalities regarding the level of development. The analyses employ an original synthetic Level of SocioEconomic Development index (LSED) consisting of 18 diagnostic variables. The study mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches and considered the spatial dimension in statistical analyses. We identified general trends related to the ageing population and housing shortage. Moreover, in municipalities dominated by industry, socioeconomic development was generally constant. The opposite is true for municipalities focusing on tourism or agriculture. The conclusions demonstrate that Poland’s European Union membership was the key driver of the socioeconomic development of the regions and the country at large. The rule of law crisis in Poland and ensuing cuts in EU spending could slow the development down. The crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic might be consequential as well.

Оценка внутрирегиональных сдвигов предпринимательской активности в условиях пандемических и геополитических изменений 2020–2022 гг. (на материалах Кемеровской области – Кузбасса)

Entrepreneurial activity has a serious impact on the development of regions and municipalities, especially remote, peripheral ones. The most important aspect of the small and medium-sized enterprises’ activities study in the region is the analysis of differences between territories in the levels of entrepreneurial activity, as well as the assessment of relevant processes dynamics in various external conditions. The purpose of the study is to identify intraregional differences in the entrepreneurial activity of the region, to assess the nature and significance of their changes based on the materials of the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass in 2020–2022. The indicator of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises normalized per 10 thousand people was used, as well as descriptive statistics methods, paired samples t-test, pair and rank correlation coefficients. In 2020–2022, inter-municipal fluctuations in entrepreneurial activity practically did not depend on the population density or the spatial position of the municipality. The agglomeration factor did not contribute to a faster recovery of the medium-sized enterprises’ sector. It was revealed that remote peripheral areas are not outsiders in terms of entrepreneurial activity, which contradicts existing theoretical concepts. The minimum entrepreneurial activity is observed in small towns and rural areas adjacent to the cities of the Kuzbass agglomeration, which can be attributed to different possibilities of consumer demand migration, but requires further research.

The Role of Municipal Securities in Regional Development

The progress of a country and its economic development greatly depends on regional development. Regional government bodies fully or partially implement a variety of projects within the allocated budget. These initiatives include setting up hospitals, sports fields, sewerage systems, schools, and kindergartens, as well as addressing other infrastructure issues. For this reason, obtaining additional funding will be important for the development of municipalities. As the experiences of other nations have demonstrated, issuing municipal securities, i.e., bonds, will have the desired effect on regional development. Keywords: Municipal bonds, Securities, Infrastructural projects, Investment.

GIS-based model for the assessment of the smart sustainable development of municipalities of Northeast Bulgaria

In recent years, Bulgarian municipalities have introduced smart development systems. The Bulgarian state is at the top of the world rankings regarding household internet access and connection speed. The authors develop and validate a GIS-based model for the analysis and evaluation of sustainable cities. The authors conclude that in a global digital economy and society, Bulgarian regions need to improve the accessibility of WI-FI networks to meet the challenges of Smart Development. In recent years, the authors have observed a growth of Smart Cities initiatives in large areas of Northeast Bulgaria. However, Bulgarian municipalities in the study area are lagging in deploying smart governance systems.

Differentiation of developmental priorities of different-sized municipalities in the period of acceleration of developmental changes – an example of a mining region

Abstract The aim of the research was to assess the developmental priorities of municipalities as they reflect the current policy objectives of the Czech Republic and the European Union, with a focus on the Green Deal and accelerating developmental changes in the external environment. To this end, the key priorities of the Just Transition Fund programme, which is designed for structurally affected regions in the Czech Republic, were selected. Specifically, these included themes in the areas of energy, waste management, transport, brownfield revitalisation and education. The method for obtaining information on the attitudes of municipalities was a questionnaire survey in 160 municipalities within the Ústí nad Labem Region, which also helped to assess the differences between small and large municipalities. The research found that municipalities are prioritising development in energy and waste treatment. At the same time, small municipalities, with under 1000 inhabitants, are slower to develop projects than larger municipalities, and larger municipalities were also more aware of the importance of sustainability issues for future municipal development.

The Effects of Public Participation on Local Economic Development in South African Municipalities

In recent years, the concept of Local Economic Development (LED) has gained prominence to enhance the economic well-being of communities at the grassroots level. In South Africa, a country marked by a history of inequality and spatial disparities, fostering LED has become crucial. Public participation is crucial in shaping the LED trajectory in South African municipalities. By analyzing existing literature, this article underscores the importance of inclusive and meaningful engagement of citizens in the process of LED, highlighting its benefits and challenges. In other words, this article explores the effects of public participation on LED in South African municipalities. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology. The study specifically reviewed secondary data to understand the effects of public participation on local economic development in South African municipalities. In conclusion, to address public participation challenges in LED, local government should design participation processes that actively involve all segments of the population, especially marginalized and historically disadvantaged groups.

Water scarcity and COVID-19 mortality in rural chilean areas

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus around the world in March 2020, severely affected many areas of people’s life and health. Among the main ways to prevent its spread is by washing hands and food with soap and water. However, the latter is scarce in several municipalities of Chile, highlighting the difficulties of water supply at a national level. This work investigates the relationship between municipalities decreed by the government as being in a situation of water scarcity and the COVID-19 mortality levels found in rural areas between March 2020 and June 2021. Statistical data were used from different databases to correlate mortality rates with the level of municipal development and access to a drinking water network. A negative correlation was obtained between high COVID-19 mortality and low levels of communal development and connection to the drinking water network. As a result, it is deemed necessary to take into account geographical variables, such as water scarcity, in the generation of public health policies and water resource management.

Problems and Prospects for Improving the Territorial Organization of Local Self-Government (On the Example of Municipalities of the Republic of Tyva)

The specificity of the socio-economic and ethno-cultural processes developing on the territory of the Republic of Tyva reflects the objective need for expert and scientific analysis of the problems of managing the territories of municipalities in the region in the general context of the transformation of the system of territorial organization of local self-government in Russia. The purpose of this study is to develop practical recommendations for improving the territorial organization of local self-government in the Republic of Tyva. In the article, based on the application of general scientific methods (logical method, comparative analysis and a systematic approach), the features of the territorial structure of local self-government in the Republic of Tuva are investigated, and the main problems of spatial and territorial development of municipalities are identified. A general conclusion is made that the republican government bodies, in cooperation with municipalities, need to jointly develop a draft “road map” for the transition to a single-level system of local self-government, taking into account the opinion of the population and repre-sentatives of the expert community. The author proposes a project of territorial reforms of local self-government in the region and gives a preliminary assessment of possible management decisions to transform the boundaries of the municipalities of the Tyva Republic (projected changes in population, area of municipalities, administrative and managerial effects, etc.).

Saint Petersburg: On the Issue of the Strategy for the Development of Municipalities in Conditions of Economic and Political Uncertainty

Saint Petersburg is the second largest and most important city in Russia, which is in a seaside and border situation. Its peculiarity is that, unlike Sevastopol — also a city of federal subordination, it is a complex collection of municipalities of different status. The multilevel strategies of the federal, regional and local level are a logical phenomenon from the point of view of theory, but very problematic for practical implementation. Abandoning strategic planning in the face of uncertainty is a gross managerial error. Adjustment of the municipal structure of St. Petersburg is not a fundamental problem, since it belongs to the competence of the authorities of the subject of the federation.

Technological intensity and local socio‐economic development

AbstractThis study aimed to empirically analyse the relationship between technological intensity profile and local socio‐economic development, using the theories of path dependence and microregional agglomeration economies. We applied the technique of linear hierarchical modelling with data from 645 municipalities in Brazil. Our results demonstrated that current municipal socio‐economic development could be explained by the local technological path itself but even more so by the technological intensity of the microregion. This article's contribution lies in its union of two theoretical perspectives and its adoption of a quantitative approach, allowing for the analysis of municipal development at two levels, local and microregional.

Стратегии развития преференциальных территорий в системе документов стратегического планирования России

The relevance of the article is determined by the fact that the current issues of research on preferential territories leaves the issues of strategic planning of their development outside of active scientific and public discussions. The purpose of the study is to analyze the “targeting” of strategic planning documents for preferential territories to address issues of spatial development of the Russian Federation.
 The object of the study was the special economic zones (SEZ) of the technology innovative type. It is concluded that the long-term goals and objectives of the SEZ as a whole correspond to the strategic guidelines for the development of the country and the priorities of the strategies for the socio-economic development of the constituent entities of the Federation where they operate, however, issues of spatial development in planning documents are given secondary attention.
 In the long-term planning documents of the SEZ, there is a connection with the key strategic planning documents developed as part of goal-setting at the federal and regional levels, and with the strategies for the socio-economic development of the regions in which they operate; there are references to the strategic planning documents of the lower level — to the strategies of socio-economic development of municipalities. The lack of connection with the priorities, goals and objectives of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation as the most important strategic planning document developed within the framework of goal-setting on a territorial basis, as well as with the development strategies of resident companies, was noted. The necessity of forming a state strategy for the development of preferential territories, which should become an integral part of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation, is substantiated.

Monipaikkaisten asukkaiden hallinta vapaa-ajanasukasvaltaisissa kunnissa

Second-home owners contribute significantly to the economic development of municipalities with lots of second homes. In rural and island policy, there have been expectations about their participation to the local life as developers. Lately, the COVID-19 pandemic raised the discussion about dual municipal residency. In this study, the governance of multi-local residents is examined, asking how multi-local residents are comprehended as subjects of governance in the researched municipalities, and how municipalities try to make use of their resources? The interviews of municipal officials in 23 municipalities have been analyzed by using the Grounded Theory approach with theoretical views derived from the analysis of governance. Municipalities consider second-home owners primarily as consumers that contribute to the local economic development. Secondly, some individual second-home owners are perceived as developers. They are typically lobbyists and entrepreneurs that have professional knowledge and belong to national networks. These interpretations of the roles direct the governance practices, such as development of service supply and attracting developers to participate in interactive forums.

Whose rights to the city? Parklets, parking, and university engagement in urban placemaking

ABSTRACT Streetscapes are among the urban geographies shaped by people’s belonging in place and movements through the spaces-between. Such geographies give expression to powerful ideas about rights to the city. Witness international PARK(ing) Day, during which people playfully reclaim on-street parking areas by displacing vehicles and creating parklets. Yet, parklets have been criticised when their installation results in long-term loss of parking spaces. The purpose of this paper is to analyse such contestation in a case that involved a university undergoing significant transformations. As part of its place-making strategy, the university sought to create a parklet on a municipal streetside in a central business district near new purpose-built student accommodation. In short order, the idea was protested by particular stakeholders in the city, and the university later withdrew the municipal development application. As drawn out in our analysis of news reports and comments, the significance of the case is that the parklet was a casualty of deep divisions about who has rights to the city and about the functions of universities. Such divisions also exist in cities around the world and arguably undermine small actions to support decarbonising futures and caring infrastructures that attend urgently needed larger social and environmental gains.

Rural tourism management from an entrepreneurial approach and its impact on local development

Tourism has the capacity to diversify the economy due to its transformative nature, mainly through the practice of various tourism modalities. In the case of rural communities, strategies can be implemented to expand productive capacities and competencies, if they are managed as a complement to traditional economic activities, and keeping in mind that a fundamental element in the matrix of territorial economic development is the business segment. Therefore, the objective of this article was to determine the management capacity of rural tourism through the business fabric of a rural setting. Scientific observation and documentary analysis were used as methods, which allowed determining the different factors that lead to the integration of tourist activity as a factor of local development in the Cuban municipality. In addition, the main elements that favor or limit the management of Cuban rural areas for tourism purposes were analyzed, based on work experiences in Avilanian municipalities. The conclusion was reached that tourism activity is a feasible opportunity, its management leads to the implementation of actions that articulate and stimulate the activation of rural heritage, in correspondence with the demands of the tourism market, where the actors involved carry out the business framework that conditions the gradual development of tourism based on the characteristics of each territory.

The socioeconomic development of rural municipalities representing various demographic and functional types

Motivation: Rural areas are usually characterised by a slower pace of growth as compared with urban areas. However, they do not constitute a uniform group of entities, representing a considerable diversity in terms of development. Among the determinants of the socio-economic development of rural areas, an important role is played by their demographic potential and the economic functions performed. The demographic typology of municipalities is used in identifying population development types in the analysed entities, depending on natural growth rates and a migration balance. The functional typology of rural municipalities is based on differences between them in terms of socio-economic structure. Understanding the relationship between the development of a municipality and its demographic and functional type is indispensable for planning the development policy and for formulating local strategies.Aim: The aim of the paper is to assess gaps in the level of development of the rural municipalities of Małopolska Voivodeship, depending on the demographic types they represent and the economic functions they perform.Results: The results of the conducted analyses indicate that the highest levels of development among Małopolska’s rural municipalities are recorded by urbanised areas. These levels are much higher than in the remaining entities classified as multi-income, agricultural and tourist municipalities. It was proved that the best developed municipalities record an increase in the number of population resulting from a positive migration rate. There is a correlation between a demographic and functional type of municipalities.