Soft Infrastructure Research Articles

Key factors in developing transit trade corridors in Northeast Asia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate key critical factors for developing transit trade corridors (TTCs) in optimizing trade and logistics performance, taking into account economic, geographic and political concerns among countries in the Northeast Asia region, which have been dynamically developing TTCs to optimize trade and logistics performance in association with development of transport infrastructure in the Greater Tumen Region located in the Northeast Asia.Design/methodology/approachThis research explores key factors affecting the TTC through a comprehensive literature review in tandem with expert survey. Factor analysis, both exploratory and confirmatory, is employed to further investigate the underlying factors affecting more efficient development of a TTC.FindingsThis research has drawn eight underlying factors affecting the design of a TTC: development and policy implications; safety, security and political concerns; environmental protection; financing and investment; soft infrastructure; hard infrastructure; geography and landscape; and corridor performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper has a limited geographical scope of the Northeast Asia. Therefore, more primary data collection would be useful in future work. Development of International trade corridor and TTC is critical in northeast Asia for moving goods through designated geographical paths. The key factors drawn in this paper contributes not only to promoting its related services and information (across borders) with the provision of policy support and related facilities for TTC but also to lowering logistics costs and improving trades in the northeast Asian region. As a result, the countries in the region will accelerate their regional economies in collaboration with international bodies and framework, such as UNDP, Greater Tumen Initiative and One Belt One Road Initiative.Practical implicationsThe eight underlying factors the authors identified in this research will be valuable for policy-makers to design TTCs and consequently the research will contribute to regional economies in northeast Asia by establishing efficient trade and transport routes among the countries in the region.Social implicationsDeveloping TTCs is a kind of platform and infrastructure to accelerate cargo movements and people movements in the northeast Asia. Users of TTCs will benefit their businesses thanks to an efficient logistics system and lower logistics costs, which result in promoting international and regional trade in the region.Originality/valueThere has not been any research done on factors to consider in developing TTCs in the world, whose consequence is no readily available reference that can support a systematic assessment and decision-making in development of TTCs. The findings of this research provide a helpful reference for policy-makers, potential users and developers of TTCs to refer in planning and developing them.

Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia, by Asia Development Bank and the Asia Development Bank Institute

Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia. By Asia Development Bank and the Asia Development Bank Institute. Japan: ADBI, 2015. Pp. 294. Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia, a joint study conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asia Development Bank Institute (ADBI), is a succinct report on how to enhance the regional ties between the two neighbouring regions, with a particular focus on connectivity. Given the long history of ADB's involvement in both South Asia and Southeast Asia, it is ideally placed to discuss the myriad of issues that affect the economic ties between the countries in the respective regions. Myanmar's nascent but nevertheless optimistic democratic revival after decades on military rule provides the crucial land link that has been missing between the regions. Governments and policymakers can now contemplate closer ties by building unbroken road and rail networks stretching from India to Thailand and beyond. At the same time, India's government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been talking about their Look East policy and engaging the ASEAN countries through ASEAN+1 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) deal. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) now looking like a distant dream after the United States under the Trump government withdrew, RCEP is the most likely multilateral agreement that the regions can sign up to. Given this political background, this book attempts to calculate whether countries in the respective regions would benefit significantly from co-operating on connectivity-linked issues, and minimize the associated downside. It also notes that in order to achieve that, there has to be significant investment in hard and soft infrastructure, and that is only possible if there are pools of financing available both from the public as well as the private sector. Private sector support is necessary as the fiscal constraints on governments limit the extent to which they can provide support. However, for sustainable private sector funding to emerge, there needs to be confidence around cross-border funding agreements. The book is organized to first provide readers with a detailed look at the current state of connectivity between the two regions. As the authors observe, there is some progress with trade growing substantially between 1990 and the present. However, a lot more has to be done, and the rest of the book explains this in detail. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the investment needed in cross-border transport infrastructure and energy infrastructure respectively. The following two chapters describe the financial requirements for these investments as well as the facilitation from a trade perspective that need to be put in place across the regions. Chapter 7 talks about the non-tariff barriers that hinder trade, and how effective FTAs can resolve them. Chapter 8 elaborates on some of the unintended consequences of connectivity, such as unequal distribution of the benefits and aggravation of social ills. Governments have to be cognizant of these issues and take adequate steps to minimize their impact. Finally, Chapter 9 tries to quantify the benefit that the regions will accrue if they were to undertake the various recommendations suggested in the book. Using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, even a conservative estimate shows that the gains can be substantial across all the countries in the South Asian and Southeast Asian regions. The authors see the development of production networks across Southeast Asia as a key reason for the success of some these countries over the past two decades. South Asia can benefit significantly from tapping into these networks. In addition, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in the Southeast Asian economies, but are a much smaller force in South Asia. So, the development of an enabling environment for SMEs can raise economic growth in South Asia and can also lead to greater connectivity with Southeast Asia. …

Soft infrastructure: The foundational work for successful infrastructure development - interview with President K.V. Kamath

Soft infrastructure: The foundational work for successful infrastructure development - interview with President K.V. Kamath

«Мягкая инфраструктура» Тайваня, Республики Корея и Сингапура в области науки и образования по привлечению человеческих ресурсов

«Мягкая инфраструктура» Тайваня, Республики Корея и Сингапура в области науки и образования по привлечению человеческих ресурсов

Strategies of Multinationals to Overcome Infrastructure Deficiencies in Developing Economies

We analyze how multinational subsidiaries overcome deficiencies in infrastructure in developing economies. Drawing insights from the resource dependence theory, we explain how a subsidiary‟s dependence on host country‟s soft infrastructure or institutions and hard or physical infrastructure becomes a critical constraint under which it has to strategically respond. We propose three ideas. First, we propose that the degree of infrastructure deficiencies in a developing economy constrains the subsidiary‟s investment scale in the country. Second, the subsidiary can overcome these constraints using three strategies: adaptation, or gaining experience in operating with deficient infrastructure; influencing or lobbying the government to reduce uncertainty in investment; and escape, or reducing exposure to deficient infrastructure by seeking foreign markets. Third, the first two strategies are more effective in addressing hard infrastructure deficiencies and the last strategy is more effective in redressing soft i...

The governance of polycentric national infrastructure systems: Evidence from the UK National Infrastructure Plan

Conventionally how states ‘infrastructured’ was based around the monocentrism of the positive state. The progressive liberalisation of infrastructure over the past three decades has given rise to polycentric national infrastructure systems (NIS). This polycentric NIS exhibits a higher degree of structural, spatial and operational complexity with the state being one player though it still plays a prominent role not just through its own activities but also in seeking to steer the system to meet its territorial objectives. This is done through the formal interaction between hard and soft infrastructure (with the later characterised by themes of sustainability, consistency and criticality) components of the NIS. These themes are explored through an analysis of the UK’s National Infrastructure Plan where – it is argued – the formation of the UK NIS is characterised by a strategy of sustainable polycentrism though this strategy has yet to deliver the investment anticipated.

REDESIGNING COMMUNITIES FOR AN AGED SOCIETY

AbstractCurrently 26% of Japan’s population is 65+; in 2030 33% will be 65+. Redesign of both hard and soft infrastructure is required. This presentation describes a social experiment, organized by the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Tokyo, in Kashiwa, a bedroom community 30 km from Tokyo where a huge number of baby boomers recently retired. Age-friendly workplaces, flexible schemes of employment even for those age 80+, and products to provide a safe and productive work environment are being tested. Evidence shows that working after age 65 helps to maintain physical and cognitive functions and enhances social activities. Projects focused on life-long learning, frailty prevention, community-based health and long-term care, housing, transportation, and effective utilization of ICT are also in progress. Not only is collaboration among researchers in different disciplines required but also full collaboration with local governments, the business community, non-profit organizations, and residents.

Changing leadership in peripheral city region development: The case of Liverpool’s high technology sectors

This article examines the effects of changing place leadership when developing knowledge-intensive industries in a peripheral city region. This study examined the video games and life sciences industries in Liverpool City Region. Both have an established presence in the city region and are key to the city region’s knowledge economy strategy. Few studies have examined why different types of regions experience diverse path-dependent development. By tracing the two high technology sectors back to their conception it has become apparent that the most significant developments have been between 2005 and 2015. During this period, the city region saw increased public intervention and underwent institutional change. The analysis highlights that the public and institutional leadership in the city region prior to 2010 managed to reinvigorate the industrial base and increase R&D capacity in the high technology sectors and develop institutional assets to sustain growth in the region. The change in leadership post-2010 highlighted the life science industries dependence on public leadership and support, compared with the video games industry. There are still issues within the city region’s labour market and concerns around the underdevelopment of soft infrastructures post-2010. If these sectors are to be resilient, policymakers need to improve the transition between leaders in regional development so that best practices and soft infrastructures are inherited, maintained or improved. Additionally, policymakers should also plan for the long-term engagement required when developing high technology sectors such as life sciences in peripheral city regions, where pathways to market carry uncertainty and demand for a highly qualified labour market is increased. The evidence is derived from 58 primary qualitative interviews with firms’ owner-managers and supporting institutions at a local and national scale. Secondary data both qualitative and quantitative have also been used to supplement the analysis and inform the broader context.

Redefining smart city concept with resilience approach

The smart city concept originally aimed at dealing with various urban problems, in particular, those related to the urban environment and infrastructure, such as modeling transport flow in a city. As it developed, the concept is now widely used to accelerate the process of urban management by using IT technology and by the availability of big data. However, the smart city discourses are still debated. There is a number of critical literature on the discourses; some are more concerned with the use and development of information communication technology (ICT). ICT and modern technology are considered the key aspect of the smart city concept. Meanwhile, others emphasize the importance of the people who operate the technology. Very few, if any, literature emphasizes the importance of resilience in the smart city discourse. The city as a complex system should have the ability to be resilient, especially when technology fails either due to technical/man-made or natural disasters. This paper aims to redefine the smart city concept in urban planning through a literature study in the context of planning using a resilience approach. This paper describes and defines what the smart city concept is, what it means, as well as explains the relation and linkage of the importance of using resilience approach in defining the smart city. Factors of resilience will lead to a soft infrastructure approach, such as enhancement in many aspects, e.g. community capacity, social and human capital, knowledge inclusion, participation, social innovation, and social equity. Discussion and analysis are conducted through a deep literature study using systematic literature review methodology.

Aid for Trade in Lowering Trade Costs: Overcoming Infrastructure and Institutional Constraints in Indonesia

This study takes a hard and somewhat sobering look at the state of Indonesia’s physical (hard) and institutional (soft) infrastructure as the country moves into its second year under the presidential leadership of the recently elected Joko Widodo. The study’s focus is predominantly on how well (or poorly) the country is currently positioned to benefit from the positive and welfare enhancing effects of trade and investment liberalization, something that the country implicitly agreed to embrace when ‐ together with over 120 other economies ‐ it became a founding member of the World Trade Organization in 1995. We first examine some critical infrastructure bottlenecks as they affect roads, electricity generation and ports and conclude that, although the country has made some progress in addressing these, there is still much that needs to be done. The next section of the report focuses on the institutional constraints holding back Indonesia’s integration into the world trading system, particularly the glaring shortcomings that affect the judiciary and law enforcement, as well as the legislative and executive branches of government. Our report then turns to an analysis of the prevailing import and export regimes and finds that these are becoming more rather than less restrictive as various actors at different levels of government seek to establish and assert their permit‐issuing powers in a barely concealed effort to generate rents as well as induce shortages that connected parties can benefit from commercially. Finally our report turns to a brief discussion of the need to implement genuine and effective reform, arguing that this is what the Indonesian people voted for when they elected President Widodo, and discusses how the new president has fared in the face of entrenched elites and well‐organized opposing interests. We conclude that policymakers in Indonesia need to take another long hard look at how they ultimately perceive the national economic interest and how trade and investment liberalization frameworks like the WTO, ASEAN and the still ongoing RCEP negotiations can be harnessed to realize the ambitions of the new president and the electorate who voted for him.

An Analysis of Urbanization in Africa and Its Implications for Korea: Future Demands for Urban Infrastructure

Cities and urban areas function as engines for economic growth as they mobilize labor and capital to create economies of scale through the agglomeration of production factors and increase productivity. They also create a consumer base through whose consumption of manufactured products encourages economic growth. Consequently, cities generate economic value that amount up to 80 percent of the global GDP. They also expand as rural labor is pushed out as a result of green innovation and technological development. Interestingly, Africa's cities have expanded neither through industrialization nor technological innovation. Africa's urban population is relatively small compared to other regions of the world but its growth is expected to accelerate in the near future. However, this rate of expansion and attention is unaccompanied by an improvement in physical and institutional infrastructure. As a result, Africa's urban areas are sprawled by the expansion of slums while social infrastructure such as road, power, water and sanitation, and industrial production facilities is far from sufficient. As Africa's urbanization comes with many side effects triggered by the infrastructure deficit, the development of economic and social infrastructure could aid its economic transformation. Using the various methods of pooled OLS, fixed effects model and system GMM, estimations on the future demand for infrastructure in the road, water and sanitation, and power sectors were conducted. Results indicate that demand is highest in the power sector followed by road and then by water and sanitation. Based on Korea's experience and expertise and in consideration of the calculated estimations, Korea can cooperate with Africa by developing policies for urban planning (soft infrastructure), building physical infrastructure (hard infrastructure), and providing assistance in the establishment of industrial complexes. Detailed examples include reforming land regulation systems, establishing the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and utilizing co-financing capital for infrastructure development.

The Geopolitics of China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative

ABSTRACTChina’s “One Belt, One Road” project is comprised of two components: the Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI) and the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB)—that were announced separately in 2013. Each component has the potential to transform the global geopolitical landscape through the construction of interrelated infrastructure projects including ports, highways, railways and pipelines. Such hard infrastructure requires the complementary construction of soft infrastructure, such as free trade and investment agreements, and other accords. We introduce a special section focusing specifically on the geopolitics of the MSRI that stems from a workshop hosted in November 2015 in Shanghai. The origins, scope and content of the MSRI are described, along with a summary of the current literature discussing the project, and dominant geopolitical representations. The MSRI is a geopolitical project that involves a number of actors (governments, private companies and Chinese state-owned enterprises) at a number of geographic scales (cities, provinces, states and continents). Arrghi’s twin logics of territorial and economic power help frame and connect the papers of the special section to illustrate the complexity and dynamism of the geopolitics of the MSRI. The articles provide insights into the geopolitics of a large connectivity project.

Capturing gains by relocating global production networks: the rise of Chongqing’s notebook computer industry, 2008–2014

In 2008 a new notebook manufacturing cluster was established in Chongqing in western China. By 2013 it accounted for some 25% of world output by volume. Chongqing’s ability to attract this manufacturing supply chain was driven by several factors that permitted strategic coupling: the existence of complex networks of cooperation and economies external to the firm but internal to contemporary global production networks; changed conditions in southeast and east China; and the creation by Chongqing Municipal People’s Government with central state support of hard and soft infrastructures and externalities that drove down logistic and production costs and permitted constant product innovation.

A Transport Telematics Contribution to Sustainable Development of Small Islands, Case Study: Maratua Island

Remotely-located small islands face huge challenges. Nearly all aspects of life are at low level. Lack of adequate physical infrastructure, healthcare, education, transportation and prosperity may require a massive investment and operating costs. Soft infrastructure, implemented by choosing appropriate ICT implementation, opens a window of opportunity to address the above challenges effectively. This paper outlines how the Digital Island aims to contribute in achieving sustainable development in small islands, with a case study, Maratua Island.

Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area by Oliver Wang

MUSIC IN NIGHTCLUBS Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area. By Oliver Wang. (Refiguring American Music.) Durham, nC: Duke University Press, 2015. [xiii, 218 p. ISBN 9780822359043 (hardcover), $89.95; ISBN 9780822358909 (paperback), $24.95; ISBN 9780822375487 (e-book), various.] Illustrations, bibliography index.Oliver Wang's Legions of Boom: Filipino American Mobile DJ Crews in the San Francisco Bay Area chronicles the historical trajectory of Filipino American DJs-from the mobile crews to the scratch DJ-through the lived experiences of practitioners and patrons. The book's title (a play on Legions of Doom, the DC Comics evil superheroes) was inspired by an allegiance between five different DJ crews in northern California's Bay Area (including South San Francisco, Daly City, Fremont, and Union City): Sound Sequence, Images Incorporated, Creative Madness, Midstar Productions, and Styles Beyond Compare (p. 27). In the first chapter, Wang notes that many of the DJs descended from the third wave of Filipino migrants to the United States: the professionals. Under U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson's Third Preference Act, Filipino doctors, engineers, nurses, entrepreneurs, and businessmen established themselves primarily in coastal areas. Second-generation Filipino Americans, the children of the migrants who settled in a metropolis, became exposed to American popular music in the discotheque nightclubs.In the second chapter, Wang documents the formation of the earliest Filipino American mobile DJ crews and their efforts to bring the discotheque experience to their community. His first informants, Sound Explosion, were the pioneers of the technique of nonstop mixing by Filipino American DJs. These three DJs- Rafael and Ricky Restauro and Sam Beltran-subsequently developed a grassroots movement for Filipino American mobile DJs that was both self-funded and financed by their parents (what the author calls soft infrastructure; p. 57). With the success of Sound Explosion, other Filipino Americans formulated similar mobile crews. The Electric Sounds and the Gogos (the only female mobile DJ crew at the time) began DJing in their own communities and generated what the author terms psychic income, which entails both monetary and currency (pp. 57, 86).Wang's concept of garage parties as liminal spaces for social interaction also lends to the perceived generation gap between most Filipino American youths and their parents. The DJs reminisced about incognito interactions between the opposite sexes, unbeknownst to parents, when they sometimes used their reputations as opportunities to mingle and find potential partners. Others treated the scene as a professional opportunity. Chapter 3 addresses sanctioned events, such as hometown association parties, weddings, and baptisms; these gradually led to the overriding popularity of the mobile Filipino American DJ in San Francisco. Concerning race, Wang's informants never asserted their ethnic identity when promoting themselves and, unlike their East Asian counterparts, rarely made references to cultural icons from their ethnicity. Therefore, most of Filipino American DJs apparently viewed themselves foremost as Americans who occasionally DJed cultural events given by their families, the only ones who were fully aware of their Filipino ethnicity.In chapter 4, Wang describes how the mobile DJs began to venture away from local events. As the mobile DJs gained recognition within their communities, event producers from San Francisco began selecting DJs from these mobile crews to work at professional nightclubs. An intriguing study from this chapter is the case of Mark Bradford, an aggressive promoter of these showcases. Bradford was a complex character. Some hold negative views of his reputation because of his alleged solicitations of sexual favors from young male DJs in exchange for covering expenses for equipment and transportation. …

Determining trade facilitation performance: the case of South Africa

The WTO's trade facilitation agreement emphasises the ease of trading across borders as an important element of international competitiveness, especially in developing countries. This paper investigates trade facilitation performance, with specific reference to South Africa. This study developed a measurement tool for trade facilitation. The study constructs a trade facilitation index (TFI) using a principle component analysis using available data on hard and soft infrastructure components of trade facilitation. The TFI is a tool to compare countries with one another to determine how well they fare in different aspects of trade facilitation. Results for South Africa revealed that South Africa performs well among other SADC countries and BRIC countries, but underperformed in comparison with its top ten international trade competitors. The TFI therefore serves as a useful tool for policy makers, especially in developing countries, who aim to use trade development initiatives to improve those areas that can increase trade performance.

Determining trade facilitation performance: the case of South Africa

The WTO's trade facilitation agreement emphasises the ease of trading across borders as an important element of international competitiveness, especially in developing countries. This paper investigates trade facilitation performance, with specific reference to South Africa. This study developed a measurement tool for trade facilitation. The study constructs a trade facilitation index (TFI) using a principle component analysis using available data on hard and soft infrastructure components of trade facilitation. The TFI is a tool to compare countries with one another to determine how well they fare in different aspects of trade facilitation. Results for South Africa revealed that South Africa performs well among other SADC countries and BRIC countries, but underperformed in comparison with its top ten international trade competitors. The TFI therefore serves as a useful tool for policy makers, especially in developing countries, who aim to use trade development initiatives to improve those areas that can increase trade performance.

Towards an Olympic volunteering legacy: motivating volunteers to serve and remain – a case study of London 2012 Olympic Games volunteers

Volunteers are often seen as ‘soft infrastructure’ following the legacy plans of host nations aiming to stage the Olympic Games. This refers to social mobility and the potential of further utilising such volunteer resources for other future events and activities that would benefit the community. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of a volunteer legacy following volunteers’ involvement with the London 2012 Olympic Games. A total of 163 volunteers involved with the transport department of London 2012 completed a web-based survey. Factor analysis was employed to summarise volunteers’ motivations. The analysis yielded five reliable dimensions of their motivations. Regression analysis was then applied to identify which motivations, sociodemographic characteristics and sport engagement variables had an impact on future intentions for volunteering. The implications of the findings for a potential social legacy of volunteering are explored.

Africa Is Rising

This paper highlights the narrative of Africa Rising. It indicates that indeed Africa as well as agriculture are rising. Since 2000, Sub-Saharan Gross Domestic Product has been growing at an average rate of 5% per annum. Agriculture has been growing at an average rate of 3.5% p.a, well above the 2.7% population growth. Evidence shows that this economic and agricultural growth have lead to improvements in the lives of the African people. Real income per person has increased by more than 30% since 2000, and the poverty rate has declined from 57% in 1990 to 43% in 2012. SSA’s rapid growth over the past decade and a half has been driven by high global commodity prices, increased foreign direct investments, improved economic governance, and growing domestic demand due to increasing population, spiraling urbanization, expanding labour force and rising middle class. The interesting question is how the Africa rising narrative can be sustained into the future. The paper indicates that the answer lies in the economic and agricultural transformation of Africa. The Africa Progress Report (2014) describes a strategy for economic transformation, while the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) provides a policy framework for agricultural transformation. The paper highlights three examples of frameworks from the author’s point of view on how Africa could create such economic and agricultural transformation. The first is based on the author’s published Mukhebi Theory of Economic Development (MUTED), which provides the case for public goods that will provide the necessary physical and soft infrastructure (national and continental nervous system) for significantly enhanced intra Africa commerce and trade. The second is based on the author’s published book My 50 Dreams, which provides an inexhaustible reservoir of knowledge for necessary technological development and innovation. The third is based on the author’s project involvement is the Africa Centers of Excellence II (ACE II) Project initiated and supported by the World Bank, which provides a framework for universities in Africa to develop necessary high level human capital with mobility across the continent. The paper concludes that Africa and its agriculture are indeed rising despite the challenges. Economic and agricultural transformation is needed to sustain the narrative of Africa rising. MUTED, Dreams and the ACE Project are examples of frameworks of how Africa could sustain and enhance the narrative

Beyond Technology: Demand-Side Solutions for Climate Change Mitigation

The assessment literature on climate change solutions to date has emphasized technologies and options based on cost-effectiveness analysis. However, many solutions to climate change mitigation misalign with such analytical frameworks. Here, we examine demand-side solutions, a crucial class of mitigation options that go beyond technological specification and cost-benefit analysis. To do so, we synthesize demand-side mitigation options in the urban, building, transport, and agricultural sectors. We also highlight the specific nature of demand-side solutions in the context of development. We then discuss key analytical considerations to integrate demand-side options into overarching assessments on mitigation. Such a framework would include infrastructure solutions that interact with endogenous preference formation. Both hard infrastructures, such as the built environment, and soft infrastructures, such as habits and norms, shape behavior and as a consequence offer significant potential for reducing overall energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. We conclude that systemic infrastructural and behavioral change will likely be a necessary component of a transition to a low-carbon society.