Extreme municipal fiscal stress and austerity? A case study of fiscal reform after Chapter 9 bankruptcy

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-538
Author(s):  
Mark Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Urban Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Political ◽  
Fiscal Stress ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Urban Restructuring ◽  
Managing Risk ◽  
The City

Post-recession urban restructuring in the U.S. has involved national and state governments pushing budget problems to the local level, with municipalities implementing a variety of responsive reforms. Although the term “austerity” has often been used to characterize these reforms, others have argued municipal responses to fiscal stress have been largely “pragmatic”. Disagreement therefore exists about the extent to which austerity is a post-recession tendency across U.S. urban governance. However, there is a consensus that extreme municipal fiscal stress is linked to austerity restructuring. But can cities who have experienced extreme fiscal stress avoid austerity restructuring? This paper draws on research that examined bankruptcy-related reform in the City of Vallejo, California. In 2008, Vallejo became the first municipality to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy after the financial crisis. During and after its bankruptcy, the City has faced extreme budget problems, making it a prime candidate for austerity restructuring. However, research shows that Vallejo undertook a set of post-bankruptcy reforms—controlling labor costs, revenue raising, managing risk, participatory budgeting—that are not collectively characteristic of austerity or pragmatism. In conclusion, the paper reflects on the political and ideological factors that shaped Vallejo’s post-recession restructuring and how the City’s core fiscal problems have avoided resolution.

scholarly journals The (No-)Public Space. Reviewing the Transformation of Al-Qaed Ibrahim's Urban Image

2020 ◽  
pp. 177-192
Author(s):  
Iman Hegazy
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The Political ◽  
Urban Image ◽  
Political Conflicts ◽  
Political Events ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Public spaces are defined as places that should be accessible to all inhabitants without restrictions. They are spaces not only for gathering, socializing and celebrating but also for initiating discussions, protesting and demonstrating. Thus, public spaces are intangible expressions of democracy—a topic that the paper tackles its viability within the context of Alexandria, case study Al-Qaed Ibrahim square. On the one hand, Al-Qaed Ibrahim square which is named after Al-Qaed Ibrahim mosque is a sacred element in the urban fabric; whereas on the other it represents a non-religious revolutionary symbol in the Alexandrian urban public sphere. This contradiction necessitates finding an approach to study the characteristic of this square/mosque within the Alexandrian context—that is to realize the impact of the socio-political events on the image of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square, and how it has transformed into a revolutionary urban symbol and yet into a no-public space. The research revolves around the hypothesis that the political events taking place in Egypt after January 25th, 2011, have directly affected the development of urban public spaces, especially in Alexandria. Therefore methodologically, the paper reviews the development of Al-Qaed Ibrahim square throughout the Egyptian socio-political changes, with a focus on the square’s urban and emotional contextual transformations. For this reason, the study adheres to two theories: the "city elements" by Kevin Lynch and "emotionalizing the urban" by Frank Eckardt. The aim is not only to study the mentioned public space but also to figure out the changes in people’s societal behaviour and emotion toward it. Through empowering public spaces, the paper calls the different Egyptian political and civic powers to recognize each other, regardless of their religious, ethnical or political affiliations. It is a step towards replacing the ongoing political conflicts, polarization, and suppression with societal reconciliation, coexistence, and democracy.

scholarly journals Local Wisdom and National Integration in Indonesia: A Case Study of Inter-Religious Harmony amid Social and Political Upheaval in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Rosmaida Sinaga ◽  
Flores Tanjung ◽  
Yuri Nasution
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
The Political ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
National Integration ◽  
Local Leadership ◽  
Political Upheaval ◽  
Colonial Government ◽  
Dutch Colonial

This study emphasizes on inter-religious affairs happened in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli began to experience turmoil when thenational movement era started in 1908 and itstillhappens to present-day. The Dutch colonial government advocated for inter-religiousharmony at a local level. The policy was pursued by the the Dutch colonial government out offear that the Indonesian people would developa sense of unity and fraternityamong them, thereby intensifying thespirit of nationalism. The Dutch government’s concern eventuallycame true when the power of the Christian wingof the national movement cooperated with itsIslamic counterpart. Along with the political upheavalsand social changes experienced by the Indonesian people, the harmony between religious groups in various regions was affected. Despite migration, changes of central and local leadership, and the flow of modernization that took place, the dynamics of inter-religious harmony of the 1930s are still present today.The tradition, the spirit of harmony, leadership models, and the application of local wisdom are all the key to the survival of inter-religious harmony in Bunga Bondar, South Tapanuli, as findings in research that can be used as a guide or model to build national integrity.

Community Resilience and Urban Planning during the Ninth-Century Maya Collapse: A Case Study from Actuncan, Belize

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Mixter
Keyword(s):  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Ninth Century ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Urban Centre ◽  
Ritual Space ◽  
Maya Collapse ◽  
The City

To remain in place in the immediate aftermath of the ninth-century Maya collapse, Maya groups employed various resilient strategies. In the absence of divine rulers, groups needed to renegotiate their forms of political authority and to reconsider the legitimizing role of religious institutions. This kind of negotiation happened first at the local level, where individual communities developed varied political and ideological solutions. At the community of Actuncan, located in the lower Mopan River valley of Belize, reorganization took place within the remains of a monumental urban centre built 1000 years before by the site's early rulers. I report on the changing configuration and use of Actuncan's urban landscape during the process of reorganization. These modifications included the construction of a new centre for political gatherings, the dismantling of old administrative buildings constructed by holy lords and the reuse of the site's oldest ritual space. These developments split the city into distinct civic and ritual zones, paralleling the adoption of a new shared rule divorced from cosmological underpinnings. This case study provides an example of how broader societal resilience relies on adaptation at the local level.

The Port of Hamburg in the 1940s and 1950s: Physical Reconstruction and Political Restructuring in the Aftermath of World War II

2019 ◽  
pp. 009614421987785
Author(s):  
Christoph Strupp
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
The Political ◽  
Economic Decline ◽  
World War ◽  
Ruhr Area ◽  
Air War ◽  
Economic Elite ◽  
The City

The resilience of cities is usually tested by acute catastrophes such as physical destruction by natural disasters or wars or long-term processes of economic decline. This article discusses another type of catastrophe and the response of the political and economic elite of the city to it in the form of a case study on Germany’s biggest seaport city Hamburg in the aftermath of World War II. Although the air war of 1943-1945 had seriously damaged large parts of the port of Hamburg, the physical reconstruction began soon after the end of the war and made steady progress. This aspect of the disaster of war was to be overcome within a few years. But the war and its aftermath of political confrontation between East and West had changed the geopolitical position of Hamburg and moved it from the center of Europe to the periphery of the West. The hinterland of the port in Eastern Europe was cut off. The founding of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957 with its focus on the Rhine-Ruhr area further seemed to marginalize Hamburg. These developments were quickly perceived as a greater disaster than the physical destruction. This article examines the strategies developed by the political and economic leaders in Hamburg in the late 1940s and 1950s for dealing with processes they had no control over and could not directly influence.

scholarly journals City Profile: Johannesburg, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-270
Author(s):  
Caryn Abrahams ◽  
David Everatt
Keyword(s):  
Urban Governance ◽  
Industrial Plant ◽  
The Political ◽  
African Continent ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fiscal Management ◽  
The North ◽  
Rivers And Streams ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The city of Johannesburg offers insights into urban governance and the interesting interplay between managing the pressures in a rapidly urbanizing context, with the political imperatives that are enduring challenges. The metropolitan municipality of Johannesburg (hereafter Johannesburg), as it is known today, represents one of the most diverse cities in the African continent. That urbanization, however, came up hard against the power of the past. Areas zoned by race had been carved into the landscape, with natural and manufactured boundaries to keep formerly white areas ‘safe’ from those zoned for other races. Highways, light industrial plant, rivers and streams, all combined to ensure the Johannesburg landscape are spatially disfigured, and precisely because it is built into the landscape, the impact of apartheid has proved remarkably durable. Urban growth is concentrated in Johannesburg’s townships and much of it is class driven: the middle class (of all races) is increasingly being found in cluster and complexes in the north Johannesburg, while poor and working-class African and coloured communities in particular are densifying in the south. The racial and spatial divisions of the city continue to pose fundamental challenges in terms of governance, fiscal management and spatially driven service delivery.

scholarly journals Political Marketing dalam Pemilihan Gubernur Sumatera Selatan Tahun 2018 (Studi Kasus Tim Pemenangan Herman Deru-Mawardi Yahya di Kota Palembang)

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
Anggi Septiyanti
Keyword(s):  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Political Marketing ◽  
The Political ◽  
City Community ◽  
Marketing Process ◽  
The People ◽  
Successful Team ◽  
The City ◽  
The Voice

The title of this research is "Political Marketing in Pilkada (Case Study: Victory of the Herman Deru-Mawardi Yahya Pair in the Election of the Governor of South Sumatra 2018 in the City of Palembang)". This study examines the phenomenon of political marketing as a strategy in a campaign. This paper elaborates and discusses how the political marketing process carried out by the successful team of the couple Herman Deru-Mawardi Yahya in Palembang City. The findings obtained from this study indicate that the political marketing process carried out by the success team of Herman Deru-Mawardi Yahya in Palembang City was very structured and managed to get the voice of the people of Palembang City. The political marketing process carried out by the success team of Herman Deru-Mawardi Yahya in the city of Palembang is first, showing the political products of this couple to the community such as spreading the vision and mission program of this couple to the entire Palembang City community. Secondly, to promote the people of Palembang City both through direct interaction and through print media, electronic media, and social media carried out directly by successful teams. Third, determine prices in the campaign, both in the campaign funding process and to build the price of the image of the couple. Fourth, the location of the campaign which was not only focused on one place but spread throughout the corner of the city of Palembang, because there was no major campaign in the city of Palembang.

Transnationalizing bureaucracies through investment promotion: The case of Informest

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Sellar
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
State Agency ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
The Political ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Investment Promotion ◽  
Political Struggles ◽  
Private Actors

This paper uses Bourdieu’s notion of field to discuss the historical process of transnationalization in national and local-level bureaucracies, due to the promotion of firms’ internationalization and value chains restructuring. By drawing on the case study of a single Italian state agency, Informest, analyzed within a larger field of public and private actors promoting Italian firms beyond borders, this paper makes the following contributions: (a) it critiques the too narrow notion of the “political” in political geography by claiming the need to include transnational firms and entrepreneurs among the actors shaping changes to the spatial reach of certain state bureaucracies, allowing them to operate across national borders to better serve firms; (b) it argues that Bourdieu’s notion of field is an effective theoretical tool to analyze synergies and mutual influences between bureaucracies and firms value chains; (c) in so doing, it places firms alongside foreign policy and domestic political struggles to explain the emergence of outward investment promotion as a field of transnational bureaucratic practice; (d) It highlights the need to not take bureaucratic organizations for granted; instead, it focuses on the broader (geo)political processes leading to the birth, growth, and occasional death of transnational bureaucracies. In so doing, it places the transnationalization of Italy’s bureaucracy in a specific geohistorical context.

scholarly journals Clientelism, Partyarchy and Democratic Backsliding: A Case Study of Local Government Elections in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-91
Author(s):  
Abu Elias Sarker ◽  
Faraha Nawaz
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Democratic Governance ◽  
The Political ◽  
Institutional Environments ◽  
Effective Role ◽  
Grassroots Level

In a developing country like Bangladesh, the devolved local government system is widely recognized as one of the key institutional forms for the citizen-centric public service delivery system and ensuring democratic governance at the grassroots level. However, the democratic nature of local governments and their effective role in rendering services are contingent upon the political and institutional environments of the country. Competitive electoral process is key to local democratic governance. The purpose of this article is to analyze the implications of contemporary political order and institutional environments for the proper functioning of the Union Parishad (council), the lowest tier of the local government system in Bangladesh. More specifically, this study will reflect on how political clientelism, partyarchy and institutional environments have stymied competitive electoral politics at the local level which may result in democratic backsliding.

scholarly journals A Framework for Measuring Urban Sustainability in an Emerging Region: The City of Duhok as a Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5402
Author(s):  
Azad Hassan ◽  
Zeenat Kotval-K
Keyword(s):  
General Trend ◽  
Urban Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
The Political ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Urban Policies ◽  
The City ◽  
Urban Sustainability Indicators

The City of Duhok in Iraq, as one of the Kurdistan Region’s (KR) main cities, is concerned about sustainability but lacks the measures to guide urban policies. This study bridges this gap and offers an example of the use of urban sustainability indicators in an emerging region that experiences rapid urbanization and growth. The substantial objective of this study was to develop a functional framework of indicators to assess and measure urban sustainability for the city after KR’s declaration of autonomy in 1991 until 2010. That is, we limited our investigation to examining previous research, which decisively contains the approach to “measuring urban sustainability”. The study followed a three-step approach to examine urban sustainability as an integration of a few other relevant studies. The study concluded with two facts: First, the lack of progress on urban sustainability in the first decades resulted from the destabilized era that left the city administratively fragmented. Second, the political and economic watershed led to steady progress towards urban sustainability post-2005. The study highlights nine urban sustainability indicators, from a total of 39 indicators, that played an important role in navigating the general trend of urban sustainability in the city and how they can be used to promote future sustainable practices.

scholarly journals Socio-political drivers and consequences of landslide and flood risk zonation: A case study of Limbe city, Cameroon

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-731
Author(s):  
Jan Maes ◽  
Jeff Mbella Molombe ◽  
Kewan Mertens ◽  
Constanza Parra ◽  
Jean Poesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Risk Zonation ◽  
The City

Disaster risk zonation is often proposed as a long-term disaster risk reduction strategy by international treaties and academic research. This strategy has been implemented in the city of Limbe, which is known to be a disaster-prone one. Citizens are forced to settle in unsafe terrains, ranging from wetlands to unstable hillslopes due to the city’s geographical location and economic attraction. Following the fatal landslides and floods in 2001, a local crisis committee identified affected areas and declared them ‘risk zones’ to prevent further exposure. Empirically, this study narrates the production and implementation of risk zonation policy in the city of Limbe. Theoretically, it uses an urban political ecology perspective, which incorporates science and technology studies, post-political theory and disaster research to interpret the drivers and implications of the mismatch between research, policy and action. In this case study, we investigate the implications for disaster risk reduction by describing three underlying socio-political drivers of the risk zonation policy: (i) authoritarian science regime, (ii) post-political discourse, and (iii) blame diversion. We argue that authorities from national to local level use a post-political discourse to promote and implement disaster risk reduction in the city of Limbe through the development and the application of risk zonation policy. As a consequence, risk zonation leads to poor enforcement of the law and corruption, ultimately leading to risk accumulation in this case. This analysis allows us to draw broader conclusions on drivers and implications of the implementation of disaster risk zonation policy in urban areas that are primarily governed hierarchically and prone to corruption.

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