Township Government Research Articles

Sustainable Conservation of the Coal Mining Town: Ombilin Sawahlunto West Sumatra Indonesia Context

Sawahlunto is a small town located 116 km from the West Sumatra city of Padang. It was the second coal-mining town which was opened by the Netherlands after North Borneo. The discovery of this coal deposit interest to embed the Netherlands Colonial investment. At the end of the 19th century they initiated three major projects in West Sumatra. The third major project is the construction of Railway Infrastructure along the 155 km between Sawahlunto towards port in Padang city, the construction of the Teluk Bayur harbour and the construction of the mining town of Sawahlunto. The presence of the whole infrastructure has made a new history for the people of Indonesia at that time. Nevertheless the whole infrastructure is still survives and has been a witness to the struggle of the nation.Historical heritage attracts the Government town of Sawahlunto, observer preservation and historians. These stakeholders are then shared with the public the city declared to still preserve the historical heritage of this evidence. This commitment has resulted in the preservation of program implementation is running very well. So the whole infrastructure has in the mining town of conservation and is enabled to support government programs especially in the field of historical tourism and culture. This preservation program has been bearing the name of the town of Sawahlunto and has become one of the tourist destinations in West Sumatra. This success became a passion for the City Government to propose Sawahlunto being one to UNESCO World Heritage sites. As evidence of the extraordinary diusulukan of the Ombilin coal mine is a city with an infrastructure of railway and warehousing coal in Teluk Bayur Harbour.The methodology used is Qualitative Observation from a current state to make future development plans. The basic observation will be taken from the process of preservation that has been done before especially for the town of Sawahlunto. Because of the town of Sawahlunto as a pioneer against the initiative. This article aims to identify sustainable development plan for the development of the heritage site. This management plan will affect property and maintenance as well as the development of new functions as a historical and cultural tourism destinations. The study will be made in the form of a framework for the management of the world heritage site and development guidelines for the world heritage site. The end of the research will produce guidelines for sustainability development historic district and the world heritage site management plan.

突破德能勤绩廉考核标准，深化公务员绩效管理体系——以北京市P镇政府为例

突破德能勤绩廉考核标准，深化公务员绩效管理体系——以北京市P镇政府为例

Policy Tool Model and Its Application in the Governance of Characteristic Towns

Policy tools are the mechanism by which policy ideas and policy goals are transformed into specific policy actions, the bridge connecting goals and results, and the necessary path for policy implementation. The choice of policy tools will be affected by multiple factors such as policy environment, policy objectives, policy objects, governance structure, and tool characteristics. And constructed a policy tool selection model. Based on this theory, it analyzes the selection of policy tools for characteristic towns in the fields of planning, comprehensive development, operation, investment and financing. The article believes that the policy tools that can be used in the planning stage of characteristic towns are: deregulation, decentralization, families and communities, social organizations, public participation, contract outsourcing, etc. The policy tools that can be used in comprehensive development are: deregulation, financial allocation, contract outsourcing, public-private partnership, etc. The policy tools that can be used during the operation phase are: regulation and deregulation, franchising, privatization, user payment, government purchases, social forces, and public participation. The policy tools that can be used in investment and financing are: bonds, funds, product crowdfunding, financial leasing, PPP financing, etc.

Представительный орган местного самоуправления малого города: анализ состава депутатского корпуса в экономическом контексте (случай Кировской области)

Introduction: at municipal level the public authority institutions are represented by the elected collective government bodies − City Dumas and Assemblies of Deputies. The composition of the deputy corps of local government representative bodies is one of the key parameters characterizing the political situation in municipalities. This article presents results of the study of elections to local government representative bodies in numerous small towns, typical for Russia, based on the data on Kirov region. Objectives: to identify local actors applying for positions in representative bodies of local government in small towns; to assess the impact of the town status (which defines the functionality) and its economy structure on the composition of the representative bodies of local government. Methods: the role of socio-economic profile and current socio-economic situation in the formation of the deputy corps in small towns was assessed based on the analysis of data from nine towns of Kirov region; all towns selected for the study are comparable in term of comparable population, but differ in status and functionality, and not all are equally prosperous in economic terms. Results: the main categories of deputies represented in Deputy Assemblies of small towns are highlighted and reasons for the prevalence of each category in the composition of the deputy corps are identified, as related to local economies features. Conclusions: in different socio-economic contexts, the composition of representative bodies differs significantly. Strong economic actors retain a high level of control over the local political field and dominate Deputy Assemblies in single-industry towns. The composition of Deputy Assemblies is more diverse in towns with diversified economies, but their Assemblies are also composed mainly of private business representatives. In towns with a difficult socio-economic situation Deputy Assemblies are composed mainly of budgetary institutions representatives.

Determinants of Turnover Tax (ToT) Tax Collection Effectives in Ethiopia: The Case Hosanna Town

This paper aims to explore that factor influencing the effectiveness of Turnover tax collection in Hosanna Town. The study organized factors into four categories: Tax- administration related, Tax officers-related, Taxpayers-related and Tax systems related factors. The study used an explanatory approach, whereby data from 276 taxpayers’ for three sub-cities in Hosanna Town were collected using administers the questions. The questionnaire had 38 statements representing factors and12 statements representing the Turnover tax revenue collection effectiveness. The collected data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. In the case of descriptive statistics, the study used frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. For the inferential statistics, the study used multiple regression analysis. The study findings showed that there were eight main critical factors turnover tax effectiveness. The results showed that turnover tax rate, mode of payment, Government policy formulation and services to taxpayers, Taxpayers knowledge of obligations and rights are factors that positively significantly effective on turnover tax revenue. However, punishment by tax office, detection capabilities of tax offices, education and advice from tax office were not significantly at 5% significance effective on turnover tax revenue. Despite the contributions of this study, there are some limitations which need to be acknowledged. First, data were collected from taxpayers only. Secondly, only 12 statements for factor were used. Thirdly, the study has used only primary data. Last, perceptual measures of turnover tax collection effectiveness. The authors consider that if other approaches were used, they could have reached different conclusions. From a practical perspective, revenue authority may be relying heaviling on taxpayers, as well as regulations, directives and proclamation, for turnover tax collection effectives. The study shows that mode of payment, taxpayer right and obligations on proclamation and tax policy on turnover tax are critical factors too. However, the study also has practical implications for local (Town) governments, revenue authority, turnover tax collection and taxpayers at large. This paper extends prior research in the area of turnover tax collection and is the first paper to use four categories of factors to analyze the influencing of turnover tax collection effectiveness, taking into consideration both tax authorities and taxpayers. It is used the model, which helped to generate variables with multiple prior theories (i.e. theoretical triangulation). Hence, new theories were combined with old theories to produce findings which take into consideration the context of the country.

Rural Community Perception and Readiness on Urbanization: The Case of Wolaita Sodo Town, Sodo Zurya Wereda (Gandaba and Ofa Seri Kebelles)

This research paper was about the perception and readiness of rural community towards urbanization with the specific objectives of assessing the factors for the rapid expansion of Wolaita Sodo town, the level of understanding of the local people about urbanization and the investigation of the problems faced as a result of urbanization and their readiness to face the inevitable process of urbanization. Both qualitative and quantitative research design were used to obtain relevant data. Observation, interview and questionnaire were the tools employed to gather data. Both purposive for site selection and interview, and simple random sampling (questionnaire) techniques were used in selecting respondents from the study areas. Respondent from Sodo town government officials from the sectors of water supply enterprise, electric power authority, urban development bureau and road authority Sodo branch were selected purposively, whereas the questionnaire was distributed among for 40 members of the two kebelles. The finding are; the existence of unplanned and unmanaged expansion of the town, the low level of satisfaction of the people of the works of the responsible bodies (main about compensation and the distribution of the electricity and road among others), and awareness creation programs (about saving and significance of development for public) should be made by the responsible body are among the way outs to minimize the negative impacts of urbanization.

ECOLOGICAL SAFETY OF LUTSK TOWN AND PROSPECTS TO RAISE IT

The results of the study of the current level of ecological safety in Lutsk are presented. There is a close relationship between environmental safety, environmental status and environmental issues. The main factors of formation of ecological situation in the town are analyzed: emissions of pollutants, discharges of sewage, formation of waste and their influence on pollution of atmospheric air, surface and ground waters, soils. Quantified their value. The main sources have been identified. Ranked them by the degree of danger. The coverage of the territory of the town by the network of ecological monitoring is considered. Institutional affiliation of monitoring programs has been established.The coverage of economic entities by permits for emissions, discharges and waste generation is analyzed. Estimated total effluents water discharge to surface water bodies, discharge of normatively treated effluents water, insufficiently treated effluents water, and cases of high water pollution. The level of atmospheric air pollution, its dynamics, the structure of pollutant emissions in the context of stationary and mobile sources were also evaluated individual enterprises. The results of observations of radioactive air pollution have also been analyzed. The current state of waste management in the town is estimated. The structure of the outputs and the dynamics of their formation are determined.The most acute environmental problems of Lutsk are highlighted. Among them, the most important are the need for overhaul and reconstruction of obsolete effluents treatment plants, worn out and emergency water and sewerage networks, and the need for the construction of new drainage networks. Also important is the development of a new solid waste management scheme with maximum implementation of separate waste collection and the introduction of a new, more powerful waste sorting line at the landfill for solid waste in the Bryshe village. It is also necessary to combat the mudding and clogging of streams and ponds within the town to prevent degradation of natural systems and the loss of recreational attractions by water bodies. Traditionally important for the Lutsk town is the prevention of reduction of the amount of green space due to the active development of the town, the mass destruction of diseases and pests of the main types of green space in the town, the spread of adventitious, invasive plants. In recent years, a new problem has emerged that has significantly worsened the living conditions of the town's population: odor. It extends to the southwest and south of the town. The town government and the public are making great efforts to identify its sources and address the problem of stink in the city.The urban ecological programs, their effectiveness and resource provision are analyzed. The town has a comprehensive Program of environmental protection of the town of Lutsk for 2018-2020. It is approved by the decision of the town council. The program provides for the allocation of funding (state, regional, city budgets, own funds of enterprises, institutions, organizations, credit funds) for environmental protection activities. The town also carried out an investment project with the administration of the Lippe region (Germany) "Environmental Friendship over the Borders".Measures to increase the level of environmental safety of the town in the context of protection and rational use of water resources, protection of atmospheric air, waste management of production and life, protection and conservation of flora and fauna, nature reserve fund are considered.

Development of Road and Bridge Infrastructure to Enhance Economic Growth in the Coastal Communities of Tuminting District in Manado City

Overcoming poorness in town of Manado which pursuant to statistical which is tendency mount, with year data 2016 noted by number 22,41 %. Various means done by government of town of Manado in improving to get society like developing infrastructure walke and recognized bridge by way of Boulevard 2 with length walke 6,5 km and wide 14 m very expected can grow economic sentra sentra newly to coastal area society through the street boulevard 2. Target of research is wishing to know do development of infrastructure walke and bridge of Boulevard 2 looking positive to make-up of coastal area society economics in district of Tuminting town of Manado. Pursuant to result of research that development of infrastructure walke and bridge of Boulevard 2 having relation 98,5 % with make-up of coastal coastal area society economics of district of Tuminting town of Manado.

La policía: conocimiento práctico de gestión urbana. El alumbrado público en la ciudad de México (finales del siglo XVIII-inicios del siglo XIX).

In order to study and reconsider the shift of the science, knowledge and technics between the colonial empire and the European nations, we focused on the administrative sciences at the turn of the 18th-19th century, the precise time where they modernized more precisely in the town of Mexico. For the colonial administration, the term “police” means policing, that is to say, the good and fair governance of towns. That polysemic concept being new, is considered on two aspects: its practices, work of maintenance and good functioning by a new figure, the sereno also named guardafarol, which explains his job and the urban furniture they use, in that case lanterns. From 1790 more than 1000 lanterns were installed in Mexico City. First this article is about the circulation of scientific and technical knowledge about the street light device, because this knowledge developed very rapidly with a surprising synchrony all through the European capitals but also in the Spanish colonies. The second aspect of the article is about the positive consequences on the urban management or policing because permanent street lighting at night creates a feeling of security for the people and it makes the town secured.

Principal-agent relationships in rural governance and benefit sharing in community forestry: Evidence from a community forest enterprise in China

Before the early 2000s, a considerable number of collective forests in China were managed by common-property community forest enterprises (CFEs), which allocated minimal revenue to villagers. Existing literature attributes farmers' limited access to CFE revenue to ambiguous tenure, rent-seeking village cadres, and high timber taxes and surcharges. Using the longitudinal case study method, we examine the reasons for farmers' low earnings from CFEs. We found that villagers earned little from CFEs because revenue was diverted to non-forestry purposes, and this diversion needed to be understood under the dual principal-agent relationships in rural governance and the multiple tasks assigned to CFE managers. The CFE managers, as agents of the villagers assumed the dual responsibility of administering timber production and managing community affairs. Moreover, under China's political regime, the CFE managers are the agents of the township government and are obliged to fulfill various administrative and fiscal tasks. To fulfill community governance obligations and to finance government-assigned tasks, the CFE managers had to divert revenue to non-forestry uses instead of allocating revenue to the villagers. To enhance the performance of CFEs, we recommend that the government detach community governance responsibility from CFE managers, reinforce the autonomy of rural communities in forest management and community governance, and infuse more resources to rural communities.

Multilevel Environmental Governance: Vertical and Horizontal Influences in Local Policy Networks

In the context of multilevel governance, collaboration among governmental and non-governmental entities across different levels of government is increasingly popular in China’s environmental governance. Policy actors are engaged in two types of collaboration with other local governments: horizontal and vertical collaboration. Policy actors participate in horizontal collaboration when they work with entities at the same level, and in vertical collaboration when working with governments at different levels. This study examines multilevel environmental governance in China by studying how the decisions of policy actors to participate in local water governance networks are influenced by vertical pressures from higher level government and horizontal influences from other policy actors at the same level. We approach the research questions in the empirical context of local water governance in Dongguan city of Guangdong Province. With survey data collected from 31 municipal departments, 32 town governments, nine water-related private businesses and five NGOs, we tested the hypotheses with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions. The results indicate that vertical pressure and horizontal brokerage are both drivers for participation in the local water governance network.

Analysis on the Comprehensive Utilization Degree of Typical Villages in the Agricultural-Pastoral Intersection of Horqin Sandy Land from 1990 to 2015 Taking Mother and Son Mountain Village of Chifeng City as an example

The eco-environment in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Horqin sandy land is fragile and the land use is unreasonable. Based on the typical mother-son mountain villages in ecological environment, population and economy, and according to the interpretation data of remote sensing images and field survey data, the present situation and dynamic changes of land use in the village area were quantitatively analyzed from the micro perspective. The results show that the cultivated land area of Mother and Son Mountain Village village has fluctuated in the past 25 years, increasing from 836.53 hm2 in 1990 to 1011.01 hm2 in 2000 and decreasing to 651.23 hm2 in 2015; the pasture area has decreased from 1437.15 hm2 in 1990 to 675.8259 hm2 in 2015; the grassland coverage has decreased, and the grassland with high coverage has decreased in 1990. The annual proportion of grassland area was 13.58%, which decreased to 0 in 2015; the forest coverage increased rapidly from 17.6% in 1990 to 53.1% in 2015; and the desertification land area decreased sharply from 13% in 1988 to 3%. In the past 25 years, the land use change index of Mt. Mozi is 9.35. The degree of human land change is increasing, and the relationship between human and land is becoming closer and closer. The degree of land use has changed from low level to high level. The main reasons are population factors, changes in livestock and the results of the adjustment of national policies.The farming-pastoral ecotone in Horqin Sandy Land includes Horqin Right Wing Middle Banner of Xingan League, Tongliao City and Chifeng City, each of which has a total land area of about 142,500 km2 and a population of 6.167 million, of which the rural population is 493,480,000 [1]. Historically, the area was dominated by animal husbandry, with abundant aquatic plants and cattle and sheep everywhere. Due to the rapid growth of population and unreasonable land use over a long period of time, the ecological system of the area was degraded and the economic development was backward. Fourteen of the 16 banner counties belonged to poverty-stricken counties. Reasonable land use is the key to ensure the ecological security and economic development of the region. Relevant experts and scholars have carried out extensive research on this issue, but most of them are based on macro-level research, which can better show the large-scale pattern changes, but the quantitative research on micro-level is rarely reported. The research based on micro-perspective is more convenient to grasp the essence of the development of things and reveal the inherent law of the development of things[2]. In the ecotone of agriculture and animal husbandry, there are significant regional differences in both natural and human aspects. Therefore, in order to fundamentally solve the ecological and economic problems in the region, the micro-quantitative research in different regions must be focued on. Based on the typical mother-son mountain villages in ecological environment, population and economy, the author conducted a field survey in August-September 2016. Combined with the statistical data of township government and village committee and remote sensing image data provided by relevant departments, the author analyzed the dynamic changes of land use in the past 25 years and made use of soil. The dynamic degree model of land use is used to measure the degree of comprehensive land use in order to provide scientific basis for the rationalization of land use and the sustainable development of agriculture and animal husbandry in this area.

Behavioral logics of local actors enrolled in the restructuring of rural China: A case study of Haoqiao Village in northern Jiangsu

Rural China has undergone dramatic socioeconomic and spatial restructuring as a result of rapid urbanization and the implementation of a series of top-down reforms. In this paper, based on the actor-network perspective, we examine the actor translation process associated with implementation of various governmental strategies in Haoqiao, a poor village located in the northern Jiangsu Province in China. We mainly focus on interactions between participants as well as their influences on the rural restructuring process. The findings proved the crucial role of township government in implementing restructuring at village-level. Motivated by acquisition of land-related finance, the performance evaluation system of local officials, and public accountability, the town government is keen to mobilize others in the action coalition promoting rural restructuring. However, it is noteworthy that many farming households are reluctant to comply with community planning, because they have to cover large price gap between their old houses and residential land and new houses for resettlement. We also discuss the motivations for diverse human actors and the potentially negative impacts that domestic macro-economic situation plays on the circulation of rural residential land consolidation which mainly underpin the rural restructuring.

Nation v. Municipality: Indigenous Land Recovery, Settler Resentment, and Taxation on the Oneida Reservation

Nation v. Municipality: Indigenous Land Recovery, Settler Resentment, and Taxation on the Oneida Reservation Doug Kiel (bio) in 2002 oneida nation citizen Hugh Danforth saw the coming trouble with Hobart, a majority non-Native Wisconsin municipality located entirely within the treaty boundaries of the Oneida Reservation.1 As the wealthy suburban town of Hobart formally became a village, it gained a greater degree of autonomous home rule. Danforth took to the pages of the tribal newspaper, Kalihwisaks (“She Looks for News”). “Hobart is an urban cancer that will destroy our reservation, our adopted homeland, and our sovereignty if we don’t do something about it,” he warned.2 Writing on another occasion, Dan-forth urged, “It will be harder for the Oneida Nation to buy back land and it will be harder for the Oneida Nation to put land into trust if Hobart becomes a village.”3 He was right. Within a few years, the historically strained relations between the Oneida Nation and the municipal government of Hobart erupted into an ongoing legal battle over the future of their shared territory. Hobart was born amid a set of competing goals. The Oneida people lost ownership of all but a couple thousand acres of their more than sixty-five-thousand-acre reservation following the implementation of the Dawes General Allotment Act (1887).4 As the Daily State Gazette noted in 1890, an Oneida general council voted unanimously to pursue the creation of towns on the reservation.5 A decade later, when land speculators began gradually encroaching within the reservation, Wisconsin State Assemblyman J. F. Martin proposed that the Oneida Reservation be divided into two townships. Joseph C. Hart, the federal Indian agent at Oneida, purportedly favored Martin's vision for the reservation's future. One local newspaper declared that “up to the present time the Indians have escaped taxation, but under the township system of government, they will be obliged to pay their fair share of the burdens.”6 The proponents of creating the two towns argued that they would bring much-needed resources for infrastructure improvements that would benefit the Oneidas. Moreover, according to the Post-Crescent, published in nearby [End Page 51] Appleton, establishing town governments that could collect taxes “would speedily mean the building of roads and opening the reservation for white settlers.”7 With a small but growing number of non-Native property owners within the reservation boundaries, the newly established governments of the Town of Hobart (1908) and the Town of Oneida (1910) were both led by tribal members.8 As Oneidas gradually became the minority within their own treaty territory, however, they lost political control of Hobart. When the towns were established, nobody—Native or non-Native—imagined that a century later the Oneida Nation would be in a position to buy back so much of the reservation that their white neighbors would feel under assault by a tribal government whose land base was rapidly growing. The Oneida Nation had reacquired ownership of tens of thousands of acres by the early 2000s, and each acre of reservation land they placed back into federal trust meant one less acre from which the nation’s neighboring municipal governments could draw tax revenue. With Hobart being heavily dependent upon property taxes, transitioning to a village government was an important first step toward enacting their own long-term vision for the land. In Wisconsin, village governments have greater authority than town governments to create tax incremental districts (TIDs) as a mechanism to support development projects that help raise property values. “The village of Hobart Board is mainly interested in growth,” Hugh Danforth remarked, and that stood in contrast to the Oneida Nation’s vision of preserving the reservation’s rural character.9 Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Oneida Nation had signed service agreements with several other neighboring governments whose jurisdiction overlaps the nation’s: Brown County, the City of Green Bay, and the Village of Ashwaubenon. In light of a complex and checkerboarded reservation map that contains both taxable property in fee simple and numerous nontaxable parcels held in federal trust, these service agreements have provided a reasonable solution for compensating local governments for services...

The Effectiveness Of Building Plan Approval. Case Study: Subang Jaya Municipal Council, Selangor

The growth of construction activities in Malaysia has given rise to the need for more statutory controls to ensure systematic and orderly development. This process of statutory approval refers to obtaining permissions from the relevant authorities to ensure the development follows the standards laid down in the building regulations and certain stages of the construction are inspected by officers from the local authority. This effort is evidenced by the improvement of mechanism delivery system of building plan process, known as One Stop Centre (OSC). In fact, the building plan and construction permit approval come as the most important stage in development as it will determine the exact date for construction to start. However, relatively little is known about the effectiveness of building plan process in the local authority. Therefore, a study has been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of building plan approval process in Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ). A questionnaires survey has been conducted to forty-seven (47) respondents from the MPSJ’s internal technical departments that involved in the process. The respondents have mostly felt that the ineffectiveness of the building plan approval process was due to the incomplete documents submitted to the OSC, lack of knowledge among the Professional Submitting Person (PSP) and the incapability of staffs in handling development applications. Hence, the findings present a synthesis of results for town planners, architects, developers and government agencies to have a better understanding of how the effective and efficient building plan process can rationalize the success of property development sector. Thus, the knowledge serves as a basis for future strategic planning decisions and guidance in the delivery system in Malaysia.

Enhancing One Stop Centre in the Malaysian Planning System

Malaysia has been experiencing rapid development since its independence in 1957, which has transformed its economic base from agriculture to industry. Rapid urbanisation has itself led to the continued rise of economic growth and the need for obtaining permissions from the relevant authorities to ensure an effective and efficient planning system. This effort is evidenced by the improvement of mechanism delivery system of planning and building plan process, known as One Stop Centre (OSC). The Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government initiated OSC on the 13th April 2007 to improve the planning delivery system and procedures at all local planning authorities by coordinating and shortening the approval process. However, relatively little is known about the effectiveness of OSC and the understanding of its roles among the stakeholders in the local authority. Therefore, a questionnaires survey has been conducted to forty-seven (47) respondents and interviews with the public that involved in the process. The respondents have mostly felt that the ineffectiveness of the planning and building plan approval process was due to the incomplete documents submitted to the OSC, lack of knowledge among the Professional Submitting Person (PSP) and the incapability of staffs in handling development applications. Hence, the findings present a synthesis of results for town planners, architects, developers and government agencies to have a better understanding of OSC. Thus, the knowledge serves as a basis for future strategic planning decisions and guidance in the delivery system in Malaysia.

Hard Infrastructure as Local Economic Development (LED) Enabling Environment in Selected Local Governments in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

The study identified the Local Economic Development enabling environment to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It employed participant observation research method in the national, regional, prefectural, city, and town governments, academic and research institutions, SMEs, chamber of commerce, business associations, and communities’ levels in Aichi Prefecture. The study revealed that Japanese government provides business support for SMEs as the force behind an economy with thriving SMEs industry. The support to hard infrastructure was identified as LED enabling environment fostering connectedness, innovation and value creation for SMEs’ attraction, growth, and global expansion. This is common among the selected local governments towards building up local competitiveness, addressing job and wealth creation, and promoting liveability through hard infrastructure development. The LED in Japan can be applied as a model for developing countries, especially in the ASEAN Region, in addressing poverty reduction and wealth creation.

A lessons mining system for searching references to support decision making towards sustainable urbanization

The recurrence of similar problems caused by human errors in urbanization process is common throughout the world. However, the knowledge learnt from these problems should become lessons and important references for decision-making to avoid the recurrence of these problems, thus urban development can be sustainable. It is considered of imperative importance to incorporate the lessons experienced into the decision-making process in a way that can help foresee the potential problems and take proper measures for addressing the problems. There are few studies that have been conducted to investigate the similarity between the current scenario of urbanization practice and the previous context of lesson cases. The ignorance of this similarity presents a significant barrier for decision makers to learn from the existing lessons effectively thus to have references of how to make better decisions for future urbanization practices. This paper presents a Lessons Mining System (LMS) to assist in mining lessons experienced from previous practices. The establishment of LMS is based on Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) theory and the similarity matching principles. The system includes five components, namely, Lessons-case Representation, Lessons-case Store, Lessons-case Retrieval, Lessons-case Application, and Lessons-case Update. LMS can facilitate decision makers to understand what potential problems might occur from their current actions by referring to the lessons experienced previously in similar circumstances. This understanding can help decision makers take preventive measures against the potential problems. The use of LMS can send alarming messages to decision makers about what possible problematic consequence may occur, thus they can modify their actions before too late. A demonstration of Yangwu Town is presented to show the application of LMS, and the result shows that the lessons mined can provide valuable references for the government of Yangwu Town to improve their decision-making quality.

Translating ecological migration policy: a conjunctural analysis of Tibetan pastoralist resettlement in China

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the transmission of China’s Ecological Migration Policy from the central government down to Tibetan villages and townships for implementation. It examines the specific ways through which the policy is translated from Chinese to Tibetan and communicated through various local dialects to concerned pastoralists. In order to achieve the Ecological Migration Policy’s purported objectives of environmental conservation, livelihood improvement, and urbanization, township government officials at the grassroots level mistranslate and miscommunicate policy meanings to villagers to render an otherwise unfeasible, impractical policy implementable on the ground. Tibetan pastoralists actively engage with this resettlement project to fulfill their desires and aspirations for accessing healthcare and educational services in urban areas. However, this pursuit of legibility is induced by the state’s negligence of rural pastoralist life and elimination of alternative educational facilities in rural communities. Both negligence and elimination of educational facilities in rural areas concentrate and increase investments in education and healthcare in urban settlements. These conjunctures ultimately drive Tibetan pastoralists to “choose” their only available option, to resettle in urban townships.

Wykorzystanie technik GIS do wyznaczania obszarów kryzysowych na przykładzie miasta Żywiec

Działania rewitalizacyjne stanowią jedne z priorytetowych zadań samorządów w Polsce, ponieważ dają szansę na wykorzystanie funduszy unijnych. Do podstawowych kroków procedury definiowania obszarów rewitalizowanych należy delimitacja pól podstawowych oraz analiza wskaźnikowa. Obecnie najczęściej wykorzystuje się do niej dane statystyczne oraz te pochodzące z konsultacji społecznych. Celem artykułu jest wskazanie technik GIS jako narzędzia umożliwiającego rozszerzoną diagnozę prowadzącą do wyznaczenia obszarów kryzysowych.