Australia’s national urban policy: The smart cities agenda in perspective

AbstractThe contemporary ‘digital age’ prompts the need for a re-assessment of urban planning principles and practices. Against the background of current data-rich urban planning, this study seeks to address the question whether an appropriate methodological underpinning can be provided for smart city governance based on a data-driven planning perspective. It posits that the current digital technology age has a drastic impact on city strategies and calls for a multi-faceted perspective on future urban development, termed here the ‘XXQ-principle’ (which seeks to attain the highest possible level of quality for urban life). Heterogeneity in urban objectives and data embodied in the XXQ-principle can be systematically addressed by a process of data decomposition (based on a ‘cascade principle’), so that first, higher-level urban policy domains are equipped with the necessary (‘big’) data provisions, followed by lower-ranking urban governance levels. The conceptual decomposition principle can then be translated into a comprehensive hierarchical model architecture for urban intelligence based on the ‘flying disc’ model, including key performance indicators (KPIs). This new model maps out the socio-economic arena of a complex urban system according to the above cascade system. The design of this urban system architecture and the complex mutual connections between its subsystems is based on the ‘blowing-up’ principle that originates from a methodological deconstruction-reconstruction paradigm in the social sciences. The paper advocates the systematic application of this principle to enhance the performance of smart cities, called the XXQ performance value. This study is not empirical, although it is inspired by a wealth of previous empirical research. It aims to advance conceptual and methodological thinking on principles of smart urban planning.

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Institutional capacity development within the national urban policy formation process – Participants’ views

Environment and Planning C Politics and Space ◽

10.1177/23996544211002188 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 239965442110021

Author(s):

Ratka Čolić ◽

Đorđe Milić ◽

Jasna Petrić ◽

Nataša Čolić

Keyword(s):

Formation Process ◽

Urban Policy ◽

Urban Governance ◽

Resistance To Change ◽

Capacity Development ◽

Policy Formation ◽

Institutional Capacity ◽

Governance Practices ◽

Institutional Capacity Development ◽

National Urban Policy

In 2019, Serbia adopted its first national urban policy. This document was established through a communicative process during 2018–2019, formally encouraging urban governance as a practical innovation in Serbia’s planning doctrine. The main aim of this research is to explore institutional capacity development within a live setting of the policy formation process. The participants of this process are the primary subjects of the research. Data was collected through participatory events in four instances during the process. The concept of institutional capacity development is used in this paper as a basic framework to assess knowledge, relational and mobilisation capacity for urban governance. The main contribution of this paper is providing an understanding of the challenges and potentials for establishing urban governance practices in a post-socialist country planning context. Findings indicate an increase in the participants’ knowledge and understanding of governance instruments such that coordination and cooperation are continually unfolding. The identified challenges relate to the mobilisation capacity and fragility of institutions and resistance to change, while a need to deal with complexity and uncertainty remains present.

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National Urban Policy: Stage I

The Art of Planning ◽

10.1007/978-1-4613-2505-5_7 ◽

1985 ◽

pp. 105-120

Author(s):

Leland S. Burns ◽

John Friedmann

Keyword(s):

Urban Policy ◽

Stage I ◽

National Urban Policy

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Estudos recentes sobre a rede urbana brasileira: diferenças e complementaridades

Revista Brasileira de Estudos Urbanos e Regionais ◽

10.22296/2317-1529.2011v13n2p55 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 55

Author(s):

Alessandra D’Ávila Vieira ◽

Liliane Janine Nizzola ◽

Luana Miranda Esper Kallas ◽

Manuelita Falcão Brito ◽

Benny Schvasberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Development ◽

Public Management ◽

Urban Policy ◽

Public Policies ◽

Urban Network ◽

Political Economic ◽

Social Management ◽

National Urban Policy

A classificação da rede urbana brasileira é importante ferramenta de gestão governamental, econômica e social, pois possibilita um direcionamento mais acertado de investimentos urbanos. Partindo-se da análise de três estudos recentes que elaboraram classificações para a Rede Urbana – o primeiro, Configuração Atual e Tendências da Rede Urbana, desenvolvido pelo Instituto de Pesquisas Aplicadas juntamente com o Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; o segundo, Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Regional, do Ministério da Integração Nacional, e o terceiro, Tipologia das Cidades Brasileiras, elaborado pelo Observatório das Metrópoles, – percebe-se a permeabilidade e complementaridade entre eles, as grandes contribuições trazidas e o desafio que é produzir uma classificação condizente com a diversidade das cidades brasileiras. Destaca-se ainda como as diferentes leituras da rede urbana incorporam-se às políticas públicas, sendo os estudos realizados parte do processo de construção da política urbana nacional. Assim, acredita-se que grandes desafios foram vencidos. Palavras-chave: cidades; desenvolvimento urbano; gestão governamental; políticas públicas; rede urbana brasileira. Abstract: The Brazilian urban network classification is an important tool of political, economic and social management, since it allows a more accurate direction for urban investments. Analyzing three recent studies that have developed ratings for Urban Network – Configuração Atual e Tendências da Rede Urbana, developed by Instituto de Pesquisas Aplicadas and Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Regional, by Ministério da Integração Nacional, and, Tipologia das Cidades Brasileiras, by Observatório das Metrópoles – we can detect the permeability and complementarity between them, their contributions of them and the challenge to produce a consistent classification with the diversity of Brazilian cities. We highlight how the different interpretations of the urban network are incorporated into public policies, showing that the studies are part of the construction of a national urban policy. In this way, we believe that major challenges have been overcome. Keywords: cities; urban development; public management; public policies; brazilian urban network.

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