scholarly journals Strategies and Governance for Implementing Deep Decarbonization Plans at the Local Level

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Samantha Linton ◽  
Amelia Clarke ◽  
Laura Tozer
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
The Usa

This study qualitatively explores eight cases of best practice cities that are leading the way towards deep decarbonization. Local governments and stakeholders are developing short-term strategies and long-term pathways towards deep decarbonization at the local level but are struggling to determine effective actions. In this article, we examine cities pursuing deep decarbonization to provide insights into the strategies and governance structures that eight leading local governments are using to develop and implement deep decarbonization plans. The cases are in Canada (Bridgewater, Guelph, Vancouver and Toronto), the USA (Park City and New York City), Finland (Lahti), and Norway (Oslo) and range from very small (8.4 thousand people) to very large (9.6 million people). For each city, their implementation strategies are detailed under four categories: engagement; green economy; policy tools; and financial tools. Governance mechanisms and modes are explained regarding coordination; oversight and reporting; communication; multi-level integration; cross-sector collaboration; funding, and mode. While a number of these approaches and tools have been identified in previous research and grey literature, the findings show that leading local government plans continue to develop innovative strategies on their own and also share their successes with other communities through transnational networks. The cases examined in this study are moving beyond the incremental approach to mitigating greenhouse gases and are innovating to find applied methods for achieving transformative change. The findings from this study are useful for practitioners and academics working on climate mitigation, strategy implementation, cross-sector partnerships, and sustainable cities.

scholarly journals The scarcity of worker cooperatives in the USA: enquiring into possible causes

2018 ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Sofia Arana Landin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
York City ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Federal Level ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Worker Cooperatives ◽  
State And Local

Even though the access of workers to capital has been promoted in some countries for over centuries, Governments and public bodies have started to promote it worldwide, as in previous occasions, more particularly as an aftermath of the Great Recession, usually in the form of worker cooperatives.However, workers’ access to capital in the USA in the form of worker cooperatives is still surprisingly rare. We cannot find any recent public policies at a federal level in order to promote them and the old ones that exist remain mostly obsolete and unknown. Only at a state and local level, we find in the latest years a series of actions directed to achieve this goal, as in the case of New York City, where there is an important budget to promote the access of workers to capital more particularly after 2012 and, among others, worker cooperatives are being formed.The purpose of this paper is to enquire about the possible causes of the scarce number of worker cooperatives in the USA as the only way of offering solutions comes from understanding the causes.

scholarly journals Transformation from Below in Bangladesh: Decentralization, local governance, and systemic change

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 1668-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEAN-PAUL FAGUET
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Joint Product ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Government Responsiveness

AbstractI examine decentralization through the lens of the local dynamics it unleashed in Bangladesh. I argue that the national effects of decentralization are largely the sum of its local-level effects. Hence, to understand decentralization, we must first understand how local government works. This implies analysing not only decentralization, but also democracy, from the bottom up. I present a model of local government responsiveness as the product of political openness and substantive competition. The quality of politics, in turn, emerges endogenously as a joint product of the lobbying and political engagement of local firms/interests, and the organizational density and ability of civil society. I then test these ideas using qualitative data from Bangladesh. The evidence shows that civic organizations worked with non-governmental organizations and local governments to effect transformative change from the grass roots upwards—not just to public budgets and outputs, but to the underlying behaviours and ideas that underpin social development. In the aggregate, these effects were powerful. The result, key development indicators show, is Bangladesh leap-frogging past much wealthier India between 1990 and 2015.

scholarly journals Coproducing spatial information: Exploring government approaches and motivations at the local level

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-132
Author(s):  
Zarin Khan ◽  
Peter A. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Implicit Processes ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Geospatial Tools ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Information Change ◽  
Recent Government

Recent government initiatives like e-government and open government have led to broader adoption of geospatial tools including mapping platforms to access, use, and analyze open data. These advancements open channels for coproduction in the form of sharing information, change notifications, opinions, or requests to government, based on citizen observation and local knowledge. Though current government initiatives have substantial potentials for coproduction, the practical adoption and implementation of such practices vary reflecting the purposes, contexts, and motivations of those involved. This paper aims to understand how local governments are following different approaches to coproduce information with citizens and what motivates local governments in this process. We report findings based on interviews with 11 cities from the USA and Canada, which reveal four main approaches: the collection of new data, observation of changes, collection of opinions, and observation of preferences involving both explicit and implicit processes. Although these four approaches result from interactions between citizens and government, our findings also indicate a key role to be played by technology and partner organizations.

scholarly journals Measuring the Unmeasurable: Comparative Assessment of Urban Vulnerability for Coastal Megacities — New York, London, Tokyo, Kolkata and Lagos

2016 ◽  
Vol 03 (03) ◽  
pp. 1650018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Welle ◽  
Joern Birkmann
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Global North ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
North And South

The following paper presents an approach to measure the vulnerability of urban megacities with a comparative approach across cities in the Global North and South. The assessment of city vulnerability is key in order to inform risk management and adaptation strategies that are needed to build resilience against extreme events, natural hazards or consequences of climate change. While the New Urban Agenda (UN Habitat 2016) underscores the necessity for inclusive, sustainable and resilient urban development, the findings of the vulnerability assessment in the five selected coastal megacities that were part of the TRUC project — Kolkata, Lagos, London, New York and Tokyo — show that next to resource deficiencies and poverty, issues of governance also need to be addressed if we really aim to increase the coping capacities of urban population to deal with extreme events and natural hazards. While this is a major challenge for the selected coastal megacities in the Global South, the analysis reveals that in terms of adaptive capacities also, megacities in the Global North, such as New York and London, face major challenges and rank nearly on a similar level as Kolkata. Even though such assessments provide only a first overview, it is evident that effective risk management approaches and positive transformative change that can include long-term as well as immediate risk management concerns will not only require improvements at the local level but also significant changes in sub-national and national context conditions. This is particularly true in terms of fighting corruption and increasing the reliability and trustworthiness of local and national institutions and their regulations.

Countermeasures Against Biological Terrorism (Bioterrorism)

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Sumio Shinoda ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
Biological Terrorism ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Trade Center

Since the September 11, 2001 act of terrorism to the World Trade Center in New York City and subsequent acts of anthrax terrorism in the USA, public concern about bioterrorism has increased. Although the use of biological weapons in biowarfare between nations has not achieved dramatic effects, their use for terrorism is thought to be effective because it easily causes panic among the general public. Unfortunately, our understanding of and preparations to combat bioterrorism in Japan are still inadequate. The production and stockpiling of bioweapons are easier than of chemical or nuclear weapons. There are many diseases/agents utilizable as bioweapons, such as anthrax, smallpox, plague or botulism. Natural outbreaks of these diseases are rare, therefore many medical facilities and staff have no experience in handling them. The adaptation of systems against bioterrorism is a pressing need for national and local governments.

The Use of Social Media by Local Governments

2018 ◽  
pp. 294-310
Author(s):  
Diaz Romero Leocadia
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Political Economic

This chapter describes how social media, if correctly used, can enhance cultural, political, economic and social engagement. They also represent key communication tools for administrators to highlight the principles of openness, transparency, and to promote civic engagement. Nowadays, local governments have launched social media strategies. After reviewing necessary categories such as E-Government and E-Democracy, this chapter explores in what ways the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can benefit governance, and foster transparency, participation. The chapter describes contemporary setbacks and challenges officials at the local level which have been encountered in the implementation and development of social media. Finally, it offers an empirical approach of the utilization of ICTs by the Office of the Mayor of New York City and, therefore, describes the portal NYC.gov.

The Use of Social Media by Local Governments

2022 ◽  
pp. 482-498
Author(s):  
Diaz Romero Leocadia
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Political Economic

This chapter describes how social media, if correctly used, can enhance cultural, political, economic and social engagement. They also represent key communication tools for administrators to highlight the principles of openness, transparency, and to promote civic engagement. Nowadays, local governments have launched social media strategies. After reviewing necessary categories such as E-Government and E-Democracy, this chapter explores in what ways the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can benefit governance, and foster transparency, participation. The chapter describes contemporary setbacks and challenges officials at the local level which have been encountered in the implementation and development of social media. Finally, it offers an empirical approach of the utilization of ICTs by the Office of the Mayor of New York City and, therefore, describes the portal NYC.gov.

scholarly journals Limits of fiscal federalism: How narratives of local government inefficiency facilitate scalar dumping in New York State

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 636-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunji Kim
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Fiscal Federalism ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Local Level ◽  
New York State ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Governance System ◽  
York State

US local governments are responsible for a variety of services, based on the assumptions of fiscal federalism that local governments can deliver residents the services they want at the lowest cost. However, an austerity narrative that calls for shrinking public budgets emerged after the 2008 global financial crisis and higher levels of government are dumping fiscal stress down to the local level in a process of “scalar dumping.” How do local governments respond to these austerity pressures and why do we see weak pushback from local governments? Focus groups with local government officials across New York State show local responses are constrained by the combination of a state-level limit on local property taxes and a narrative of local government inefficiency. Although local governments have the legal authority to raise revenues, they are reluctant to use this authority due to political pressure from the state and voters. These pressures encourage local governments to maintain services without adequate revenues. Pushback is weak as local governments lack institutional power in a state-based federal system and the heterogeneity among local governments makes collective action difficult. Fiscal federalism promises efficiency and effectiveness in a decentralized governance system, but has limited ability to counter “scalar dumping” that erodes fiscal sustainability. More balance of power in state–local relationships and a narrative that better connects local taxes and services are necessary.

DACA applications and anxiety among undocumented youths

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-331
Author(s):  
Fanny Lauby
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa

Purpose While the literature has focused on the benefits granted by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to undocumented youths in the USA, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the challenges encountered during the application process. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on 60 semi-structured interviews with Latino undocumented youths living in the New York City and northern New Jersey metropolitan area. Findings The policy was intended to improve the inclusion of some undocumented youths in the USA by temporarily shielding them from deportation and providing them with a social security number. Analyses indicate great variation in youths’ experiences while applying for DACA, including program knowledge, financial impact, and application assistance – some of which was alleviated by respondents’ political engagement. This paper shows that participants suffered from anxiety due to the manner of implementation of the program. Research limitations/implications This research is based on the self-disclosure of participants as undocumented youths. Fieldwork also took place in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, which is traditionally considered as more “immigrant-friendly” context than other areas of the USA. Originality/value This paper provides much needed information on the ways in which undocumented youths navigate the federal immigration system and the anxiety associated with it. This paper demonstrates the possibility that a federal policy whose goal is inclusionary could be implemented at the local level in such a way as to promote anxiety and alienation. It also highlights the role of political engagement in shaping immigrant youth’s experiences in the USA.

9/11 and Armageddon: the Christian Right and George W. Bush

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-50
Author(s):  
Göran Gunner
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Christian Right ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Religious Leader ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The World ◽  
Mega Church ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Jerry Falwell ◽  
High Degree

Authors from the Christian Right in the USA situate the September 11 attack on New York and Washington within God's intentions to bring America into the divine schedule for the end of the world. This is true of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, and other leading figures in the ‘Christian Coalition’. This article analyses how Christian fundamentalists assess the roles of the USA, the State of Israel, Islam, Iraq, the European Union and Russia within what they perceive to be the divine plan for the future of the world, especially against the background of ‘9/11’. It argues that the ideas of the Christian Right and of President George W. Bush coalesce to a high degree. Whereas before 9/11 many American mega-church preachers had aspirations to direct political life, after the events of that day the President assumes some of the roles of a mega-religious leader.

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