Can Local Authorities Shape the Quality of Life?

In location problems we want to determine the best way to serve a set of clients, or communities, whose location and demand are known. This implies to decide the number and location of the facilities, the size or capacity of each facility, and the allocation of the demand points to the open facilities in order to optimize some objective function. The type of optimality criterion depends on the nature of the activities or of the equipment to be installed. Most location models deal with desirable facilities, such as warehouses, service and transportation centers, emergency services, and so forth, which interacts with the customers and where usually travel is involved. The typical criteria for such decisions include minimizing some function of the distances between facilities and/or clients. However, during the last two or three decades, those responsible for the areas overall development, where the new equipment is going to be located (i.e., central government, local authorities) as well as those living there, are showing an increasing interest in preserving the area’s quality of life.

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THE ROLE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY

Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego Ekonomika Transportu i Logistyka ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0010.5597 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 66 (0) ◽

pp. 55-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anna Brdulak

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Qualitative Research ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Development Strategy ◽

Implementation Process ◽

Local Authorities ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

The City

To provide a good level of the quality of life of the city inhabitants, it is indispensable to follow sustainable development strategy, allowing to create social capital. This is important especially for local authorities, which should govern society by cooperating with them. Therefore, the main purpose of the article is to present implementation process and its conditions of the sustainable development strategy within the structures of local government units in Poland. Analysis is based on the authoress’ own qualitative research conducted in four voivodships in the Southern of Poland.

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The future approach

Environmental Law Review ◽

10.1177/1461452917728753 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 165-167

Author(s):

Steven Woolf

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Local Authority ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Local Authorities ◽

New Approach ◽

Injunctive Relief ◽

The Future ◽

Local Residents

This Opinion considers a new approach that has been adopted by various local authorities who have successfully applied for injunctive relief to prevent ‘persons unknown’ from setting up encampments on any green spaces identified on a local authority map. It is suggested that the ‘preventative injunction’ is a better way to deal with traveller encampments on green spaces, as it is proactive rather than reactive. It is of particular benefit, when having regard to the huge sums of money that councils have expended on addressing the arrival of travellers in their areas. Local authorities have limited resources (time and money) and it is argued that this approach could instead help them to obviously spend the money saved to enhance the ‘quality of life’ of their local residents.

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Statistics of interregional differences and the status of budgetary system of the Russian Federation

Statistics and Economics ◽

10.21686/2500-3925-2019-5-47-56 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 47-56

Author(s):

О. V. Morozov ◽

A. G. Biryukov ◽

M. A. Vasiliev

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Spatial Development ◽

Local Authorities ◽

The Status ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Optimal Values ◽

Debt Policy ◽

Budget System

The purpose of the article is to assess the status and develop measures of state policy to overcome consistently interregional differences in the level and quality of life of the population based on promoting the independence of regional and local authorities of the Russian Federation. The applied purpose of the work is to determine the optimal values of the distribution of revenues of the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation at the levels of the budget system as a financial condition of the solvency of the subnational authorities. According to the provisions of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 07.05.2018 No. 204 “On National Goals and Strategic Objectives of Development of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2024” the range of issues is of critical importance, as it requires the inclusion of regional and local authorities in the implementation of national projects. Materials and methods. The article analyzes the changes in the level of interregional differences in the main indicators of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation for 2000, 2005 and 2016–2018. Based on the analysis of interregional differentiation by own and total revenues of their consolidated budgets, the changes in the level of financial independence of subnational authorities were assessed. As factors, hindering the development of regions with “self-reliance”, the state debt policy, the practice of inter-budget transfers, and the income structure of three-tier budget system of the country are analyzed. The methodological basis of the study is the work on regional statistics, structural analysis, quantitative modeling. Tabular and graphic methods of visualization of research results, statistical methods of processing of initial data were used. To solve the problems of the study, standard Microsoft application packages were used. Results. The article shows the excessive centralization at the Federal level of the main decisions that determine the fiscal and debt policy of regional and local authorities, the “explosive” growth in the volume of subnational debt for these years, as well as the “blurring” of inter-budget transfers from the Federal budget to the budgets of the Russian Federation regions. The debt policy of the state and inter-budgetary regulation are estimated as not fully corresponding to the tasks of spatial development of the country. A system solution for optimizing the structure of three-level budget system of the Russian Federation is proposed and a method for defining the optimal values of the distribution of revenues of the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation by levels of the budget system is presented. Conclusion. The high heterogeneity of Russia’s spatial development is one of the features of its economy. The article deals with the differentiation of Russian regions in terms of the level and quality of life of the population, analyzes the factors that led to this differentiation. State fiscal and debt policy, inter-budget transfer policy are the key factors in consistently solving the problems of overcoming interregional differences in the level and quality of life of the population, improving the competitiveness of the country, ensuring sustainable economic growth. Achieving the optimal structure of the budget system (as well as the movement to it) will create conditions not only for the inclusion of subnational authorities in the implementation of national projects, but also for the implementation of the diversity of the potential of its regions – a unique advantage of the Russian Federation.

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Measuring Local Well-being

Policy Quarterly ◽

10.26686/pq.v15i2.5370 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Philip S. Morrison

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Local Government ◽

Local Community ◽

Well Being ◽

Local Context ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Short Article ◽

The Impact

The Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Bill is designed to provide local authorities with greater legal freedom to make investments that will raise the well-being of their local community. The legislation is predicated on the assumption that people’s well-being is influenced by their local context. In order to identify the influence of changes in context generated by local investments, it is necessary to recognise that individuals differ in many ways and that the impact of any given investment can vary substantially from one person to the next. Indicators based on collections of individuals miss much of that variation. It is also necessary to recognise the variety of ways well-being can be measured. This short article raises both these issues by exploring three measures of well-being currently available on the 2018 Quality of Life survey.

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Motivational Attributes and Factors Affecting Spending of Cruisers in the Greek Islands

Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism ◽

10.14505/jemt.v11.6(46).01 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1301

Author(s):

Georgia PAPADOPOULOU

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

North America ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

International Economy ◽

Cruise Ship ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Security Culture ◽

North Americans

This paper focuses on the motivational attributes of Europeans and North Americans experiencing a cruise trip to Greece and the factors affecting spending at the transit ports and on the cruise ship. Tourists from Europe and North America are motivated to cruise in Greece for various reasons. Some of the motivational factors that influence cruise touring destinations included pricing, self-fulfillment, shopping, security, culture, and the availability of social and economic amenities. The tourism industry is one of the critical sectors that directly impact the international economy, not counting the economy of the preferred destinations. Other attributes that motivate the European and North American cruising tourists to experience a cruising trip in Greece included fair pricing of the commodities, availability of social, recreational, and economic amenities that improves the quality of life of the travelers. Local authorities are encouraged to invest more in projects that support cruising in Greece and security to ensure that the foreign tourists are more motivated to cruise in Greece.

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The R.I.E. procedure as a tool for sustainable development in municipality of Bolzano (Italy)

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/20184900076 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 00076

Author(s):

Monika Noviello ◽

Małgorzata Zdon-Korzeniowska ◽

Karolina Smętkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Legal Regulations ◽

Case Study Method ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Ecological Damage ◽

Local Law ◽

Invasive Intervention

Human progress implies in its conception a progressively more invasive intervention in the sphere of nature. Without an endeavour to conciliate progress with the idea of sustainable development, a substantial number of areas, above all the ones recognized as problematic, would be subjected to an important ecological damage. Legal regulations represent the most binding and cogent instrument to relate the idea of sustainable development to man’s will of progress, mirroring the involvement of local authorities in improving the quality of life. The aim of the article is to present positive practices of the application of the R.I.E. procedure (It. Riduzione dell’Impatto Edilizio, En. Reduction of Construction Impact).The implementation of the R.I.E. procedure allows for appropriate solutions to help maintain the highest level of ground permeability. This aspect of new investments’ planning is of fundamental importance, i.e., in areas struggling with the problem of floods or overflows. The present publication adopts the case study method in order to demonstrate the applicability and the positive consequences of the implementation of the R.I.E. procedure as an obligatory tool of the local law practiced since the year 2004 in the Italian municipality of Bolzano.

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The UNTOLD story

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes ◽

10.1108/whatt-06-2019-0036 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 492-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ovidiu Ioan Moisescu ◽

Oana Adriana Gică ◽

Monica Maria Coroș ◽

Anca C. Yallop

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Large Scale ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Content Type ◽

Music Festival ◽

Negative Impacts

Purpose This paper aims to examine the negative effects of events on residents’ quality of life. Particularly, the paper analyses the specific negative effects generated via “overtourism” for the duration of large-scale music festivals. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a case study method approach to examine the negative effects that UNTOLD, the largest music festival in Romania, has on residents’ quality of life. The case is analysed via a comprehensive desk research of secondary data from industry and academic sources. Findings Despite its success and the positive economic impact UNTOLD festival had on the host city, several issues have a negative impact on residents’ quality of life and well-being. The negative impacts are noise pollution, vandalism and crime, traffic and parking issues, waste and damages to the natural environment, pressure on and over usage of local services and infrastructure and the increased cost of living. Social implications Whilst organisers, local businesses and local authorities are the main parties benefiting from events, residents mainly feel the negative impact. Organisers, local authorities and businesses need to minimise the negative effects residents’ experience during the event by building sustainable partnerships and taking a more hands-on approach to sustainable and socially responsible practices. Current and potential initiatives are discussed in the paper. Originality/value This paper examines the negative impacts events may have on residents’ quality of life and discusses the case of a large-scale music festival, an under-researched context. The analysis and discussion may assist scholars and industry experts alike in generating new debates in sustainable event management practices, as well as festival organisers and public authorities in developing strategies for avoiding, containing or minimising the negative effects of events.

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The Five-Minute-Walk Distance Concept, Case Study: City of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Geographia ◽

10.24193/subbgeogr.2019.2.04 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 89-100

Author(s):

Oana Strinu

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Urban Development ◽

Walking Distance ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Walk Distance ◽

The City ◽

Minute Walk Distance ◽

Minute Walk

"The Five-Minute-Walk Distance Concept, Case Study: City of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. This term, also known as the “pedestrian shed”, refers to the distance that would make a person’s option of walking or driving to a destination differ. The distance is visualized as a 400-meter radius area most commonly found in some major cities or capitals’ downtown areas/main areas. To further highlight the characteristics of this concept I applied it on a case study of the city of Cluj-Napoca, checking the adherence of many areas against the concept’s principles. This will display the percentage of studied areas that meet the definition criteria and the results will indicate the proposed collection of measures to be adopted by the local authorities to increase the area definition validity score and to improve the citizens quality of life. This concept could be easily replicated in any city or capital and its metrics could be used to assess citizens. Keywords: neighborhood, 5-minute walking distance, urban development, city driving, pedestrian shed."

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Physical Activity and Its Determinants Among Senior Residents of Podlasie, A Green Region of Poland, Based on the National PolSenior Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-559353/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rafał Rowiński ◽

Grażyna Kowalska ◽

Mariusz Kozakiewicz ◽

Kornelia Kornatowska ◽

Maciej Kornatowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Chronic Illness ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

European Countries ◽

Age Group ◽

Local Authorities ◽

Physically Active ◽

Main Form

Abstract Background: Physical activity (PA) is essential at all stages of life, and particularly so in the later years. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the PA of seniors, aged 65 years and older, living in the area of the Podlaskie voivodeship (Podlasie), Poland.Methods: The study was performed as part of the national PolSenior project, whose aim was to evaluate various aspects of aging in Poland. The physical activity of a group of 186 randomly-selected people aged 65 years and above, 94 men and 92 women, was evaluated by questionnaire. The analysis included participants who took part in physical activity at least several times a week. Results: Although all participants reported a decline in PA with age, the men remained physically active for longer. Among the respondents, 68.3% of women and 62.7% of men took short walks around the house as the main form of exercise, with working on the allotment or garden being another frequent activity; however, this was more common among men (53.9%) than women (34.7%). In addition, men were nearly twice as likely to take part in cycling (31.5%) than women (13.1%). The greatest motivation for physical activity given by the respondents was health, as noted by 73.8% of the men and 77.7% of the women. Conclusion: The physical activity (PA) of seniors in Podlasie is unsatisfactory and does not fulfil the WHO recommendations regarding the prophylaxis and prevention of chronic illness. This level does not, however, significantly differ from that reported in the nationwide PolSenior study or in other European countries in the Eurobarometer study. The decline in PA with age highlights the need for its greater promotion among seniors by local authorities. Such initiatives will help maintain the physical fitness and independence of this age group and contribute to a greater quality of life.

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