Local Town Research Articles

Management of Local Towns (Tambon) According to Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Management of Local Towns (Tambon) According to Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Oil discovery in Turkana County, Kenya: a source of conflict or development?

The recent discovery of oil in Turkana County in Kenya has brought to the forefront the plight of the Turkana people, a marginalized pastoralist group in semi-arid northwestern Kenya. Oil discovery has ignited considerable new-found interest in this neglected region by nonlocal Kenyan and foreign actors. Specifically, we use the resource curse framework to examine major drivers, impacts, and local perceptions of resource-based conflicts generally, and impacts of added vulnerabilities, risks, and opportunities introduced by the recent discovery and development of oil in Turkana County. Our preliminary observations indicate that the Turkana, on top of pre-existing and increasingly militarized interethnic and cross-border conflicts primarily driven by competition over scarce pasture and water resources, are likely to face the dreaded ‘oil curse’ that has brought untold devastation on the livelihoods of communities elsewhere in Africa. The central argument in this paper is that the recent discovery of oil will exacerbate pre-existing tensions and likely result in full-blown violent conflicts among the already marginalized Turkana against local and foreign investors such as Tullow Oil that are now converging on local towns of Lodwar and Lokichar in Turkana, unless effective and timely preventive and corrective action is taken.

Strong Downslope Wind Events in Ammassalik, Southeast Greenland

Abstract Ammassalik in southeast Greenland is known for strong wind events that can reach hurricane intensity and cause severe destruction in the local town. Yet, these winds and their impact on the nearby fjord and shelf region have not been studied in detail. Here, data from two meteorological stations and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) are used to identify and characterize these strong downslope wind events, which are especially pronounced at a major east Greenland fjord, Sermilik Fjord, within Ammassalik. Their local and regional characteristics, their dynamics and their impacts on the regional sea ice cover, and air–sea fluxes are described. Based on a composite of the events it is concluded that wind events last for approximately a day, and seven to eight events occur each winter. Downslope wind events are associated with a deep synoptic-scale cyclone between Iceland and Greenland. During the events, cold dry air is advected down the ice sheet. The downslope flow is accelerated by gravitational acceleration, flow convergence inside the Ammassalik valley, and near the coast by an additional thermal and synoptic-scale pressure gradient acceleration. Wind events are associated with a large buoyancy loss over the Irminger Sea, and it is estimated that they drive one-fifth of the net wintertime loss. Also, the extreme winds drive sea ice out of the fjord and away from the shelf.

Management of Local Towns (Tambon) According to Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Management of Local Towns (Tambon) According to Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

日本統治期の台湾の地方小都市における亭仔脚の町並みの普及

This study clarifies the establishing processes by focusing on local towns. The roofed walkways were called Din-a-ka were established in 1900 by the Taiwan Building Regulation, which was an architectural regulation implemented under Japanese control. This regulation caused the spread of shop-houses with Din-a-ka. The townscapes were then constructed in the inner cities, one after another. On the other hand, Din-a-ka become widespread in local towns, following which the city planning committee was organized by the Government-General of Taiwan. City improvement projects were carried out across the entire island from 1910 onward. There was the change in a process of a spread. The project of city improvement on the early stage limited to establishing and extending of specific streets. But after around 1931, the planning of city improvement was required a plan and a system of sustained urban planning. Then the series of shop-houses constructed by the brick structure took place the reinforced concrete. According to morphological research of some representative examples, there were instances of voluntary town development by the administration and the inhabitants. Initially there were improvements in the construction of main streets within the city improvement projects, and the reconstruction of shop-houses along these streets. As time passed, projects were developed throughout the region. At that time, a mutual support organization was formed due to the necessity for backup reconstruction expenses. The characteristics of the town development were strengthened.

Multiple Criteria Evaluation of Different Redesign Variants of the Public Tram System

The paper presents a multiple criteria evaluation of ten redesign variants of the public tram system in one of the medium sized cities in Poland. The variants have been constructed heuristically, based on “common sense”, best practices and authors’ expert knowledge in the field. Multiple criteria evaluation of the proposed variants has been performed with the application of a consistent family of criteria that includes social, economic, technical and environmental aspects. It also represents the interests of the Decision Maker and different stakeholders. The authors have defined different models of preferences. The decision problem, formulated as a multiple criteria ranking problem has been solved with the application of selected Multiple Criteria Decision Making/ Aiding MCDM/A methods, such as: AHP and ELECTRE III/IV. The authors have carried out a series of computational experiments and have compared their results with intuitive decision making process carried out in the local Town Hall. The proposed methodology can be viewed as a decision support tool for governmental officers and local administration.

Fragmentation and Unity of Rural Public Governance: A Case Study on Lin’an City in China

The township, as the most basic political system in China, a head of which is connected to a city, and the another head connected with the countryside, is the foundation of national economic and social development. In the face of strong intervention of economic globalization, the gradually weakening of local township government, and the increasingly tense of national finance, agricultural and rural development policy, which is presently ubiquitous in the rural area of China, stressed from top to bottom, expert guidance, government-dominated promoting, will face the serious challenges of rural governance under the background of globalization. The rural governance is that the national institutions and other authorities based on the village government provides public service activities to the village society, in order to maintain rural order, promote rural development, according to the laws, regulations, customs and traditions. And rural governance is the process of multi subjects’ collaborative management of rural village. Rural governance quality reflects the ability of government’s rural social mobilization and management, and relates to the stable development and prosperity of rural society. The current problems of township governance, mainly are not the “township”problems of its own, but the “institutions and mechanisms of government”problem. This article takes the Lin’an city of Zhejiang province as the research object, through the development of villages and towns work rules in the process of tracking, puts forward a good example of rural governance in china.

The Impact of the Specific Elements of Globalization on the Spatial Structure of Lithuanian Towns and their Valuation

Processes and occurrences in the world are becoming more and more globalized and that is reflected in Lithuanian towns as well. Depending on scale of globalization, towns take new expression with unified symbols, the uniform elements of urban space, separate objects, networks, etc. These objects mainly are dedicated to develop the spheres of services and commerce. Very often these objects and their networks do not take into account place and do not reflect its singularity, but only form and expand unified symbols of their own. In such way urban localities, where these objects are developed, are decreased and belittled. Unified view usually does not take into account exceptional current urban, architectural, natural, landscape and identity conditions. Paper analyses current situation of these globalization elements, their meaning to the landscape and spatial structure of Lithuanian urban spaces. New constructions confirm characteristic feature for nowadays globalization: territories of historic urban structures and their synthesis change all the time. Urban environments are shaped by maintaining specific existing identity roles and further developing the town that is formed by global processes that stimulate changes of its identity. Size of new constructions and quality of architectural-urban solutions that are based only on economic aims, show the weakness of urban thought and understanding of globalization, weak abilities to request possibilities that are given by globalization to cherish town identity but not to suppress it. Under conditions of globalization it is important that towns could save the most important – national and regional identities. After that they should save local identity, natural surroundings, town silhouette, form, and architectural character. Analyzing Lithuanian towns and clear reflections of globalization in their spatial structure, there could be consumption culture excluded as separate expression that alters the identity of cities and towns with global elements. During Lithuanian cities and towns identity research it was established that the identity and local architecture were saved mainly by creating small shops that do not require huge spaces and there are possibilities to organize them in existing reconstructed buildings. Such types of “shops near home” quite often are organized in existing buildings, and from outside they might be recognizable by names or logos. Huge shopping centers are usually organized in new big buildings, where besides shopping people can find other services or entertainments. These buildings usually are standardized, very similar in their form and architecture, minimally adapted to urban surrounding, they do not reflect, continue and form local architecture traditions, townscape, aesthetic view, but destroy it. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.4.5.4836

Modernization is associated with intensive breastfeeding patterns in the Bolivian Amazon

For many traditional, non-industrialized populations, intensive and prolonged breastfeeding buffers infant health against poverty, poor sanitation, and limited health care. Due to novel influences on local economies, values, and beliefs, the traditional and largely beneficial breastfeeding patterns of such populations may be changing to the detriment of infant health. To assess if and why such changes are occurring in a traditional breastfeeding population, we document breastfeeding patterns in the Bolivian Tsimane, a forager-horticulturalist population in the early stages of modernization. Three predictions are developed and tested to evaluate the general hypothesis that modernizing influences encourage less intensive breastfeeding in the Tsimane: 1) Tsimane mothers in regions of higher infant mortality will practice more intensive BF; 2) Tsimane mothers who are located closer to a local market town will practice more intensive BF; and 3) Older Tsimane mothers will practice more intensive BF. Predictions were tested using a series of maternal interviews (from 2003 to 2011, n = 215) and observations of mother-infant dyads (from 2002 to 2007, n = 133). Tsimane breastfeeding patterns were generally intensive: 72% of mothers reported initiating BF within a few hours of birth, mean (±SD) age of CF introduction was 4.1 ± 2.0 months, and mean (±SD) weaning age was 19.2 ± 7.3 months. There was, however, intra-population variation in several dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, duration, and complementary feeding). Contrary to our predictions, breastfeeding was most intensive in the most modernized Tsimane villages, and maternal age was not a significant predictor of breastfeeding patterns. Regional differences accounted for variation in most dimensions of breastfeeding (initiation, frequency, and complementary feeding). Future research should therefore identify constraints on breastfeeding in the less modernized Tsimane regions, and examine the formation of maternal beliefs regarding infant feeding.

Individuali ir bendruomeninė tapatybė bei jų sąveika grožinėje literatūroje

This article is part of a larger group project designed to examine the memories and identities of multicultural Lithuanian border communities, and focuses on the town of Vilkyškis and its environs. The aim of the article is to investigate how problems of personal and communal identity are expressed in the literature of writers from the region. The study examines the novels of I. Simonaitytė and A. Petraitytė, prose writers whose works describe life in Klaipėda district and Lithuania Minor. The concepts of individual and collective identity, as described by the hermeneuticist Heidegger and the cultural sociologist Giddens, form the basis of the explanation of the theoretical aspects of personal and communal identities and their interactions. Pesonal identity is formed by two types of experience: direct sensory experience, and so-called mediated (received through intermediaries) experience. The article analyzes the novels of Simonaitytė and Petraitytė to determine how communal traditions and important aspects of national identity are passed down the generations, and questions why some traditions are absorbed naturally, others only with effort, while still others are rejected outright. The “nuclear family” has the greatest influence on personal identity, more so than the “extended family.” Other influences include the local village or town community, while the “extended community” affects public life.

Animal husbandry and farming in East Anglia from the 5th to the 10th centuries CE

Archaeological research that has been carried out in East Anglia since the 1960s has shed light on the changes in animal husbandry and farming that took place in eastern England between the 5th and the 10th centuries CE. The sites of West Stow and West Stow West have shed light on animal husbandry during the Early Saxon period. The rural estate centres of Brandon, Suffolk and Wicken Bonhunt, Essex provide evidence for Middle Saxon animal husbandry practices. Animal bones from the proto-urban ‘wic’ site of Ipswich in Suffolk show how this site was provisioned, while data from the Late Saxon contexts at Ipswich can shed light on the transition of this site from an emporium to a local market town. This paper takes a multi-proxy approach to changes in animal husbandry, farming, and landscape in Eastern England between the end of the Roman period and the 10th century, drawing on faunal data including species ratios, age profiles, biometrical data, and butchery patterns, as well as other classes of data that can inform us about changes in agriculture and landscape use.

A Cacophony of Dissonance

A Cacophony of Dissonance

English

  Market participation has a potential to increase farmers’ rural incomes and employment opportunities especially if farmers concentrate on production and marketing of local crops requiring low inputs such as sweet potatoes. The purpose of this research was to investigate the factors that determine farmers’ shift in market participation from village to regional market in Vihiga County. Cross-sectional data was collected and a multinomial logit model was used for the analysis. Participation in local town market rather than village market was influenced by credit access, total income, transport mode to market, access to extension services, age, value addition done and the quantity of sweet potatoes supplied, while; transport mode, land size, quantity of sweet potatoes and gender determined participation for the regional option. It is recommended that the local and national government should: Increase its support in the establishment of sweet potato market; improve the rural road networks to cut down transport costs, and increase support to farmer groups or associations to increase farmers’ market participation.   Key words: Determinants, smallholder sweet potato farmers, participation, market options.

Innovative funding methods for rural communities and their water pumps

The recent surge in global cell phone ownership has meant that many rural Africans now travel to local towns in order to recharge their cell phones. These recharging facilities are typically located within shops or informal businesses, and are often powered by a car battery or solar panel. Recent years have seen the emergence of other novel solutions for providing phone-charging infrastructure in remote regions. One such example has been the development of bicycle dynamos that recharge the cyclist’s cell phone whilst they pedal. This paper discusses the merits of a novel solution for recharging cell phones via the mechanical movements of a water hand pump, and the potential for income generation from local residents paying to recharge their cell phones to help fund the upkeep of the water point. Many water pumps installed on the African continent fall in to a state of disrepair because local communities have insufficient funds to keep them well maintained. The paper overviews the development of a ‘proof-of-concept’ prototype system for this purpose, and considers how this solution embodies a ‘commons’ theory of resource allocation and local owner/usership. Moreover, the potential to embed ‘commons thinking’ within one such low cost community-centered venture opens a wider debate about the role of commoning within the water and sanitation sector.

What the Frack? Development of the Controversy About Hydraulic Fracking for Shale Gas in the Netherlands

In 2009 Cuadrilla, a gas drilling company requested a permit for a test drilling for shale gas in the community of Boxtel, the Netherlands. At that point Cuadrilla already received a concession of the national government for drilling at several places. The local town council negotiated the conditions under which this drilling would be acceptable to them – for example in a designated area for industrial development and with financial compensation – and indeed gave Cuadrilla the permission to start building a test drilling location. It was after this permitting process, that local and national policy controversy over this issue developed. In this paper, I theoretically and empirically explore the development of this societal and scientific controversy from an interpretative approach. I study frame shifts in the debate. In addition I focus on the boundary work – the interpretation and rhetorical demarcations of facts – that was part of the frame shifts. I demonstrate how the framing of the issue, and boundary work part of it, contributed to the emergence of this controversy, and how that resulted in a temporary national moratorium on fracking for shale gas.

Gugulethu™: revolution for neoliberalism in a South African township

This paper analyses the impact of neoliberalization on post-apartheid spatial practices at the new Gugulethu mall in Cape Town. It examines this impact at two levels: first, from the perspective of neoliberal processes and their ability to adapt to the local township environment and, second, from the viewpoint of the township and its permeability to these ideas and practices, specifically emphasizing the role of local brokers. We study how revolutionary discourses, imagery, spatial design and social engineering were employed to promote the business, and how these attempts were received at the everyday level in the township. We argue that contemporary, ordinary townships such as Gugulethu tell a localized story of neoliberalization processes through which global capital is rooted within South African townships.

The Role of Battery Operated Auto-Rickshaw in the Transportation System of a City

The paper contains primary data based analysis on the role played by Battery Operated Auto-rickshaws in urban transportation system. Different aspects of battery operated auto-rickshaw, such as energy consumption rate, transport related emission attenuation rate, potentials of generating income and employment, trip characteristics, problems associated etc have been explored with a view to providing a generalized idea on the mode. The paper would provide guidelines to the policy makers of a country regarding whether and how to incorporate the mode in the local town’s transportation system. Battery operated auto-rickshaw offers lower travel cost than rickshaw, greater travel comfort than other urban para-transits like auto tempo, nosimon and public transport like minibus, and therefore attracts passengers significantly from those modes. Around 88 % of people living in a city where battery operated auto-rickshaws are available, avail the mode now to meet their travel demand. Through attracting passengers from fuel operated vehicles, the mode has replaced them at great extent. A considerable percentage of daily electricity demand of local towns is being consumed by this mode which is creating pressure on local electricity supply in turn. However, considering the duration and period of load shedding caused due to recharging this mode, energy consumption by the mode can be negotiated as it is liable for only 1.53 hours of load shedding a day which takes place at off-peak period at night. The mode is economically beneficial in case of investment too as it involves an income-cost ratio of 1.85. From operator’s point of view, driving of the mode as an occupation involves lower investment cost, greater earning, more comfort and occupational freedom than other occupations available in local towns for low income people.

Local Government Basic Ordinance Enactment Niseko Town, 11 Years on from Enactment of the Town Development Ordinance

Local Government Basic Ordinance Enactment Niseko Town, 11 Years on from Enactment of the Town Development Ordinance

THE POSITIONING OF LATGALE`S LATVIAN IDENTITY IN NEWSPAPERS: „RĒZEKNES VĒSTIS”, „VIETĒJĀ LATGALES AVĪZE”, „LATGALES LAIKS” (2008–2010)

<p>One of the most prominent, standardized and popular makers of identity nowadays are the means of mass media. In Latgale region, the dominant mass media type is press: local towns’ and regions’ newspapers, which are easily available and also widely demanded and stable tool of socialization. They own the central role as a source of information, as well as the arena of public discourse and the intermediary for culture and identity.</p><p>The aim of the article is to determine how the regional newspapers use their influence in the formation of Latgalian Latvian’s identity, what are the types of representation, which express the belonging to Latgale area, inhabitants and values.</p><p>Using the quantitative content analysis, the frequency of publications and subject categories in the local press (in the period 2008–2010) were determined, in which Latgalian Latvian, Latgalian, Latgalians etc., were mentioned as a participants, as well as some other expressions of belonging. With the qualitative content analysis, the tendencies of building the identification process were determined – the ideas expressed in publications, symbols, themes and attitudes, the characteristics of characters, reflecting the values that are given an important role in the process of Latgalian Latvian’s identity formation in the regional newspapers.</p><p>Each newspaper relies on its values and events in identity representation. Newspapers „Latgales Laiks” focuses on the activities of Latgale inhabitants in different fields, devoting pages for coverage of sport events and interviews with athletes; important is reflection of Latgalian success in the world. Therefore, in this newspaper, there isa regional identity-building features, coming closer to the work of style of the national newspapers.</p><p>„Vietējā Latgales Avīze” as a author and interpreters of actual problems choose opinion of representatives of government, education, culture etc. Therefore the newspaper construct Latgalian identity reflecting the success of Latgalians, especially students and young people who are positioned as the talented people of Latgale. It is opposite to newspaper „Rēzeknes Vēstis” strategy – to make Latgalian identity through Catholic values, maintaining thematic pages in Latgalian and reader‘s creative activity. In newspaper „Rēzeknes Vēstis” the reader‘s participation is essentialin positioning identity. It often takes the form as the conflict between past and present, like the historical and political view update inregional and national level.</p><p>It may be concluded that mainly Latgalian Latvian’s identity is positioned through the reflection of social relations: the mutual relations and the material results, thus mentioning family, work and creative growth as the main values. The most strongly the importance of Latgalian’s identity is revieled and highlighted in the reflection of their life-stories, emotional affection to patrimonial values, birthplace, reflecting past events, and which is defined as the basis for further development of Latgale.</p>

Gli habitat delle mafie nel Nord Italia

The long sleep is over. The North, or at least the most active part of it, is not sleeping any longer. It no longer thinks that the mafia or the ‘ndrangheta are things that don't concern it, or that the most that northern citizens and young people (as, to their praise, schools and local authorities have done since the 1980s) can do is to twin with towns in the south, to support those in the so-called front line regions that are fighting against organised crime. Finally a revolutionary conviction is making headway: the mafia clans are at our own doors. They are seeking places on our local town councils. They are redrawing our towns and rewriting our planning rules. They are attacking an economy which was assumed to be virgin. They are changing civic morality (Antimafia in the North, Nando dalla Chiesa, 2011).