Leading small groups in China's inter-city governmental cooperation

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-264
Author(s):  
Tingting Miao ◽  
Hao Ju
Keyword(s):  
Small Groups ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
City Governments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Pollution ◽  
The City

PurposeOver the past several decades, there has been an increasing trend towards inter-city cooperation, which is an efficient policy option to deal with the challenges from globalization, regionalization and the externalities resulting from urban entrepreneurialism. Specific to China, the city governments, which mainly refer to prefecture-level and county-level governments, have also made many attempts to cooperate with respect to their local economic development and public affairs. Nevertheless, the results of these initiations to cooperate vary to a great extent. Based on a review of regional pollution governance in the Xiaoqing River area, tourism cooperation initiatives at Weishan Lake and transport integration between Jinan and Laiwu. The findings demonstrate that China's idiosyncratic institutional background has a significant impact on the shaping of inter-city cooperation. For the most part, leading small groups (LSGs) and their leadership property tend to determine the effectiveness of inter-city cooperation.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the effect of the LSGs, we categorize them into three types, groups with strong leadership, weak leadership and self-forming leadership. Through reviewing regional pollution governance in the Xiaoqing River area, tourism cooperation initiatives at Weishan Lake and transport integration between Jinan and Laiwu, we try to probe the role of leading groups in the settlement of cross-administrative border issues.FindingsBased on these three cases, the conclusion can be drawn that the leadership type of the LSG can exert an important influence on the efficiency of inter-city cooperation. If there is a leader with a higher administrative rank or authority, the cooperation can be quite efficient. Otherwise, the cooperative ending might be very negative. In terms of the operation principle, we can infer that even though the cities are always self-development oriented, the leader with higher authority or a strong coordinating capacity can convince and persuade the city leaders to overcome their self-centered behavior template and boost the cooperation to March on smoothly. Also, it means that the LSG is constrained by its personalistic characteristic. Key command derives from the person who chairs the LSG other than specific rules and norms. If the lead of the LSG leaves his position, the cooperation might just become paralyzed. From this point of view, the lack of legal basis remains to be the LSGs' significant deficiency and the future reform should attach more importance to the legalization of the LSGs so the operation of LSGs can be more standard and stable.Originality/valueMany scholars have proposed their own theoretical models to explain the reason some cities successfully and effectively form cooperative relations, while the other cities do not. However, their models do not consider the idiosyncratic context of China or, how and to which extent LSGs can promote cooperation. Therefore, this paper seeks to probe which path in the context of China cities usually follows in the formation of joint efforts, and what role LSGs play in enabling cities to cooperate.

Events and placemaking: the case of the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Guanajuato, Mexico

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Barrera-Fernández ◽  
Marco Hernández-Escampa
Keyword(s):  
Service Failure ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Perception ◽  
Intangible Heritage ◽  
New Policies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Festival Internacional Cervantino, which represents one of the major cultural events in Latin America. Based on theoretical propositions regarding tourism as an experience, perception of visitors was studied focussing on emotional factors. Urban perception was also addressed, especially where public service failure affected the experience and therefore, the placemaking. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methodology was applied. First, the event experience scale (EES) methodology for visitors’ perception was performed in order to collect data directly from tourists. The relationship between the festival and the visit to heritage resources and attractions was especially highlighted and analysed. Urban field work focussed on expressing the location of the most visited areas during festival days. Public services were also assessed where perception was affected negatively. Interviews were applied to public administration officials and public policy-related documents were collected in order to understand the expectation of visitors, previous to the experience itself. Local perception was also contrasted with the rest of the data. Findings Attracted by information about the historic and colonial nature of the city, tourists gather massively in Guanajuato during the festival. This event in particular yields in some aspects to a transient placemaking, mainly related to inner perception and the event as such is highly appreciated. It was also found that the foreign figure of Cervantes was incorporated into the intangible heritage discourse of the city and linked to the event itself. However, some urban spaces and services need improvement to consolidate a positive experience of visitors who complain about specific factors such as traffic, accessibility, waste disposal and environmental noise. Social implications The fact that the event has caused some problems in a number of urban aspects suggests that new policies might be proposed in order to fill these gaps, especially by the corresponding government agencies. Another issue relates to the concentration of the economic profits and its lack of distribution, which right now does not contribute to social sustainability, yet the event demands high actions and costs to the city and local people. Originality/value The research has been useful to give another point of view to existing surveys and conclusions of the impact of the festival. The application of EES has yielded some improvements that could be made in further applications of the same methodology. Application of EES to assess the impact of events in urban spaces and services can be applied to many other cities that host festivals in their city centres.

Can Lean eliminate waste in urban logistics? A field study

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Escuder ◽  
Martin Tanco ◽  
Andres Muñoz-Villamizar ◽  
Javier Santos
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Lean Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lean Principles ◽  
Lean Practices ◽  
The People ◽  
Transportation Process ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The City ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeUrban logistics presents a series of challenges, as the interests of the different stakeholders are not always aligned. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of applying Lean principles to reduce waste in urban logistics.Design/methodology/approachAs a structure for “going to gemba,” the authors implemented the shadowing technique to better understand the perspective of companies distributing products in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. Then, meetings were conducted to validate the observations by the people shadowed.FindingsThe results show that most of shipper's time is dedicated to waiting (59%), which is followed by driving (22%), and only a small section of time was dedicated to unloading and verification activities (19%). Although collaborative solutions are needed along with the different stakeholders, this research highlights how deploying Lean thinking can improve significantly urban logistics achieving up to 25% improvement in the number of stores served per shift.Practical implicationsFrom an academic point of view, this study emphasizes the importance of continue applying and evaluating the Lean practices into transportation contexts. From a company's perspective, the authors have presented a list of propositions that can be implemented for carriers in order to reduce waste and/or improve the efficiency of the urban transportation process.Originality/valueBased on the literature review carried out, the subject study of Lean and its application to urban logistics remains mostly unexplored in the scientific literature.

An esham-ijara structure in the United States?

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Hummel ◽  
Blake Goud
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Conventional Approach ◽  
Islamic Finance ◽  
Tax Increment Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The City

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore Islamic borrowing at the local level in redevelopment authorities in the USA through an ijara and esham framework. Design/methodology/approach A hypothetical example is approached with a real redevelopment authority in the City of Pompano Beach, Florida. Actual data from past borrowing in a tax increment financing district are compared to an Islamic financing approach to test for competitiveness to a conventional approach. Findings It was found that when incorporating a crowdsourced option along with an ijara and esham approach, the returns on investment are higher than for a conventional approach. The risk is higher, but the returns are also higher which possibly increases the incentive to invest in these options. Research limitations This scenario is only hypothetical and based on many assumptions. A real-world application of the approach would have to be attempted to confidently determine its viability. Practical implications The potential competitiveness of this financing approach as well as its higher sustainability makes this a favorable approach for local redevelopment authorities to implement for needed money for infrastructure projects in blighted areas of the city. It is also of interest to Muslim countries that are devolving authority to their local governments. Originality/value This paper considers an alternative approach to tax increment financing which relies on a revenue sharing arrangement called an esham–ijara and esham–sukuk risk-sharing structure in Islamic financing terminology. There is currently very little discussion of esham in Islamic finance and no discussion of the application of Islamic finance to local economic development enterprises.

scholarly journals La poética del urbanismo de Le Corbusier: arte y función en la ciudad moderna

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanoela Gehlen Bregolin ◽  
Andrea Soler Machado
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Le Corbusier ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
América Del Sur ◽  
And Function ◽  
Historical Moment ◽  
The City

Resumen: El objetivo de este artículo es demostrar que existe una poética en el urbanismo de Le Corbusier y que el tema se mantiene y se transforma en sus modelos teóricos y sus derivaciones. Desde el punto de vista teórico-metodológico, parte-se del presupuesto de que esa poética es el resultado de la dualidad entre arte y función presente en su pensamiento, originada en su formación personal y el momento histórico en el que produce su obra. El analisis se estructura con la agrupación de su produción urbanística en cuatro fases: 1-los años 1920: el Plan Ideal; 2-1929-38: las ciudades de América del sur y los viaductos; 3-1930-50: la Ville Radieuse; 4-Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial: la ciudad de los 7V y la Unité d’habitation. La reflexión final retoma la visión general de su produción urbanística y la vincula al concepto de utopia. Abstract: The goal of this article is to demonstrate that there is an aspect of poetics in Le Corbusier’s urbanism and that this theme is maintained and you can see it being transformed through the theoretical models and its derivations. From the methodological and theoretical point of view, we make the assumption that the poetics is the result of the duality between art and function present in his thought, which comes from the historical moment in which his work was made and from his personal background. This analysis is structured by grouping his urban planning works in for phases; the 1920s: the Ideal City; 1929-38: the cities of South America and the viaduct; 1930-50: the Ville Radieuse; after the II World War: the city of 7V and the Unité d’habitation. The final considerations bring back the general vision of his urban planning works and tie it to the concept of utopia.  Palabras clave: Le Corbusier; Urbanismo; Poética; Arte; Función. Keywords: Le Corbusier; Urbanism; Poetics; Art; Función. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/LC2015.2015.1545

scholarly journals Regional Economic Development

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Gray
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Smart Technologies ◽  
The City

This paper is an analysis of one major local economic development policy in New York City. NYCEDC (New York City Economic Development Corporation) recently is implementing a program “UrbanTech NYC” to support entrepreneurs and innovators to help them find solutions for challenging problems in sectors of energy, transportation, water, waste, and agriculture in the city. UrbanTech NYC provides shared spaces and resources, equipment, pilot opportunities, prototyping, and learning opportunities to let these entrepreneurs and innovators being innovative in smart technologies. They provide two hubs, one in Manhattan, and one in Brooklyn with over 100,000 square feet of affordable and flexible space along with prototyping and piloting equipment. The paper also identifies three other policy options that New York City can adopt and implement instead of the current policy option. They briefly include maintaining the status que, providing tax incentives to big established well-known companies, and investing in implementation and provisions of smart infrastructure to attract entrepreneurs and firms to create a smart industry cluster in the city. Each of these policy options have positive and negative aspects that will be discussed in details through the paper. In addition, this paper provides an evaluation of the current policy option accompanying by alternative policy options.The paper will be concluded that the preferred policy is the current policy. The current policy, “UrbanTech NYC”, is a novel platform for new entrepreneurs and innovators that aligns with other simultaneous policies and programs in New York that together they can be successful in their goals. Since these new policies try to deal with newly identified problems in the city with novel solutions and perspective, they are actively involved in knowledge spillover and information, reducing regulatory burdens on entrepreneurs, so they are worth trying.

Post-visit and pre-visit tourist destination image through eWOM sentiment analysis and perceived helpfulness

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 2609-2627 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rosario González-Rodríguez ◽  
Rocio Martínez-Torres ◽  
Sergio Toral
Keyword(s):  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sentiment Orientation ◽  
The City ◽  
Perceived Helpfulness ◽  
The Web

Purpose This paper aims to explore the image of travel destinations after the visit by analysing sentiment orientation of the online reviews, and how this orientation, as well as other electronic word of mouth (eWOM)’s credibility sources, can affect the perceived helpfulness of shared opinions measured through the helpfulness score. Design/methodology/approach Tourist destinations are increasingly affected by travel-related information shared through the Web. More and more people first check the previous travel experiences of other people to build their own destination image and to help them in their choice of destination. This paper analyses the shared opinions related to the city of Barcelona in a well-known eWOM website. The reviewers’ opinion and the credibility sources of eWOM are extracted from the web using a webscraper, while the sentiment score to analyse the discourse orientation (positive vs negative) is calculated using computer-based sentiment analysis techniques. Findings Online reviews’ users are reluctant to provide extreme polar opinions (very negative, very positive) to any travel subcategory (hotel, restaurant, attractions and night-life) of a tourist destination. The results obtained also reveal that eWOM’s perceived helpfulness grows with the expertise of the reviewer. However, the helpfulness score given to the reviews posted is not influenced by the sentiment orientation of the author’s opinion. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to the case study of Ciao, which is a well-known consumer platform, and the city of Barcelona, which is a top touristic destination. However, the approach proposed can be easily extended to other similar consumer platforms and cities using the same methodology. Practical implications Understanding the information posted in the media environment is a major concern in the field of marketing destination planning. Positive and negative eWOM offers potential consumers a clear picture on the tourist destination, and this information can be used by Destination Marketing Organisations to meet customers’ needs and expectations. The perceived helpfulness of reviews analysed in this paper can also help practitioners and scholars to understand those factors that make reviews more trustable. Originality/value From a methodological point of view, the main contribution of this research is the utilisation of an unstructured approach to the measurement of the destination image based on the sentiment analysis of shared opinions. From a theoretical point of view, the study relates the post-visit destination image with the pre-visit image formation process, using the sentiment orientation of the former and the perceived helpfulness of the latter.

P2P rooftop rentals in Barcelona: a descriptive analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oriol Anguera-Torrell ◽  
Jordi Arcos-Pumarola ◽  
Aurélie Cerdan Schwitzguébel ◽  
Laia Encinar-Prat
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Activity ◽  
The City

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the disruption potential on the daily life of Barcelona’s residents of HolaPlace, a new peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace for terraces and rooftops. Specifically, it describes its listings’ characteristics and examines their geographical overlapping with signs of tourism-related disruption on residents’ quality of life. Design/methodology/approach Available data of the listings in this P2P platform has been scraped in November 2019. This data has been combined with two other sources of information that provide information on the tourism intensity in the different neighbourhoods of the city. The obtained information has been examined using quantitative and qualitative techniques. Findings P2P rooftops and terraces tend to be located in the same neighbourhoods that were already experiencing a high concentration of tourism activity. Moreover, the identified characteristics of the listings suggest that the rental of these terraces and rooftops might impact on the daily life of the residents. Research limitations/implications This study has only examined the offer of P2P terraces and rooftops in Barcelona. Further studies should also take into account how this business model affects other cities, and how it impacts on residents. Social implications The conducted analysis highlights the importance of a proactive regulation of this new P2P phenomenon that anticipates the potential socials costs on the daily life of residents. Originality/value The rental of terraces and rooftops in a P2P fashion is a novel phenomenon and, consequently, it has not been previously studied from an academic point of view.

Destination web reputation as “smart tool” for image building: the case analysis of Naples city-destination

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Micera ◽  
Raffaele Crispino
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Process ◽  
Image Building ◽  
Online Reputation ◽  
The City

Purpose Grounded in destination web reputation, the purpose of this paper is to propose a methodological framework for the analysis of the destination image-building process, where the sentiment analysis (SA) is integrated with social network analysis (SNA) tools and social media analytics (SMA), making them accessible and functional for destination management choices. The outlined framework was successively tested through an empirical analysis carried out on the image and web reputation of Naples as a tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach Critical analysis of literature on web reputation has allowed the building of the conceptual framework applied to analyse the online reputation of the case study of the city destination of Naples. The empirical research was based on the use of a platform to listen to and analyse social media conversations that allowed one to collect the data on both the destination image and the online reputation of the city. Findings The paper conceptualises the theme of destination web reputation, proposing an online discourses classification, presenting and ranking destination dimensions, which might influence prospective tourist decision-making processes. Furthermore, this study can also be apt for all destination managers who need to monitor their destination online reputation and brand, and better manage their online presence. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, through the integration of destination management principles with SA, SNA and SMA, this paper provides an original point of view for the analysis. The web reputation analysis of a destination is one of the instruments which – if systematically used – allows us to develop an effective policy to promote a destination in a tourist-centric way, in which the local offer system will be increasingly co-created and thus tailored to customers.

Beggarism and black market tourism – a case study of the city of Chaar Minaar in Hyderabad (India)

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Gaitree Gowreesunkar ◽  
Hugues Seraphin ◽  
Mohammad Nazimuddin
Keyword(s):  
Modern Society ◽  
Black Market ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Product ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Tourism Economy ◽  
The City

Purpose Begging is undoubtedly an ancient phenomenon but when explored from the tourism perspective, it is relatively new. Begging has existed across several historical periods, but with sophistication and savviness, it has developed into a lucrative form of tourism business. While previous studies have reasonably explored the beggar–tourist interaction in several socio-economic contexts, the present one attempts to research an unusual aspect of these encounters which is termed as “black market tourism.” In the current study, black market is explained as a clandestine but visible market where tourism transactions take place within three important stakeholders, namely, the beggars, the tourists and shopkeepers. The transaction is found to have some aspects of illegality, but ultimately, serves the manifest function of yielding money and growing the underground network. This triangular interaction is therefore of relevance to understand the functioning of this black market involving those key stakeholders. With this notion as foundation, this study aims to empirically and conceptually explore the phenomenon of black market tourism which is derived from the beggar–tourist– shopkeeper encounter in an important city of India called Hyderabad. The specific location of the study was Chaar Minaar, a popular tourism city with ancient monument and shopping places in Hyderabad (India). Tourism in India is undeniably infused with the notions of color and culture, but how this colorful context gradually developed into a colorless black market tourism economy is worthy of study. Design/methodology/approach From a methodological point of view, this conceptual paper draws on unobtrusive research methods (written records, non-participant observations, informal interviews and occasional photography). Findings Findings show that begging is developing into a lucrative industry without costly investment and beggars operate in a cartel. The black tourism market is found to be an emerging underground tourism economy with established stakeholders, who are rapidly progressing and growing their network. The network is seen to be increasingly attracting educated and young professionals. Research limitations/implications The research is explorative and provides a consistent and empirically based starting point for research on black market tourism involving beggar–tourist and beggar–shopkeeper interactions in Indian cities. The sample being very limited, it is important to stress the limited possibilities to generalize the findings of this study to other destinations. Moreover, the assumption that the background of the local researcher might have influenced the interpretation of primary data need not be neglected, thus suggesting a further examination to confirm validity of the results. Practical implications The study provides information not only to destination managers interested to diversify the tourism product, but also to policymakers who are fighting against begging in the city of Hyderabad. The beggar experience can be used to attract more tourists seeking authenticity, provided that the process is improved by adding in some level of professionalism. For instance, beggars could be trained to perform decently in a town hall where tourists are invited to attend cultural shows. To some extent, this study may also help empowering beggars to become part of the tourism ecosystem. This is important, as modern society has disempowered economically disadvantaged members of the community (Hutton, 2016). Ultimately, the study attempted to show that disempowered members of the community are not always passive and powerless. They can create business out of another business (a re-invented form of beggarism that has potential to generate money from tourism). Social implications The study has a social aspect as it takes the involvement of three stakeholders, namely, the tourists, the beggars and the shopkeepers. The study shows how begging transactions affect the three stakeholders and it sheds light on its overall impact on Hyderabad, as a tourism destination. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, no tourism study (academic and non-academic) has so far considered the beggar–tourist encounter from a black market perspective. The findings offer new information on a reinvented form of beggarism and unveils that this black market is a well-entrenched system operated by an educated pool of people and professionals. Ultimately, the study attempts to show that disempowered members of the community (beggars) are not always passive and powerless. They can create business out of another business (a re-invented form of beggarism that has potential to generate money out of tourism).

Spectacle and Spin for a Spurned Prince. Civic Strategies in the Entry Ceremonies of the Duke of Anjou in Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent (1582)

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 263-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Laure van Bruaene
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Low Countries ◽  
City Governments ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Cultural Objects ◽  
The City

AbstractIn 1582, the Catholic duke of Anjou toured the Southern Low Countries in order to be recognised by the major rebel cities as the new sovereign of the Netherlands. The obligation of an entry ceremony, the first organised for a sovereign since 1549, burdened the Calvinist urban governments with a very difficult task. At the same time, the ceremonies offered a great opportunity for local propaganda. In this article, the local agendas and varying strategies of the city governments of Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent are compared. Special attention is paid to the printed accounts of these entry ceremonies. From a methodological point of view, it is argued that it is crucial to consider these accounts as cultural objects—from pamphlets to luxury commemoration books—that themselves played an essential role in the construction of the events, often in a very subtle way.

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