Implementation of the Romanian Mining Strategy 2017-2035, with special regard to pit coal: failure or abandonment?

Jiu Valley is currently the only national mining basin capable of producing pit coal. Romania has undergone an extensive industrial restructuring in the last 30 years, including mining, which has led to job losses, generated economic-social and environmental effects that have severely affected the quality of life of the inhabitants of mining communities. As a consequence, the Mining Strategy of Romania 2017 - 2035 was elaborated. The paper analyses the objectives, measures and actions provided in the strategy related to the exploitation of pit coal, putting, face to face, the true state of the mines and the inhabitants of Jiu Valley. 4 years after the elaboration of the Strategy, it is clear that it has not yet come to life: mines are still being closed, there is no clear vision for the sustainable development of mining communities, the mine closure process, the greening of post-closure areas is difficult or not at all, research (e.g. capture of methane from coal), development and innovation are not stimulated, the operation of coal-fired power plants is endangered, with major implications on the supply of inhabitants with heating and of domestic hot water -resulting in major discomfort for locals.

Industrial destabilisation: The case of Rajajinagar, Bangalore

There has been a recent interest in expanding the focus of deindustrialisation studies to the cities of the Global South. Bangalore, with its long legacy of state sponsored industrialisation, as well as a substantial shift in its economy following economic liberalisation in 1991, presents itself as a suitable case to examine the impacts of industrial transformation. We study the decline of the engineering economy in one of Bangalore’s earliest planned industrial suburbs, Rajajinagar, to understand how industrial restructuring at the city and national scale has affected and reconfigured local economies. Using this case study, we make two main theoretical contributions: one, we bring out shifts at a neighbourhood scale that go beyond the existing literature on neoliberal transformations in Bangalore as well as other Indian cities. Two, the case also allows us to assess the limitations of deindustrialisation as a framework to analyse these changes, and we suggest a modified framework, that of ‘industrial destabilisation’.

PRESERVAR PARA QUEM? AS CONTRADIÇÕES NA PRESERVAÇÃO DO PATRIMÔNIO URBANO-INDUSTRIAL EM CAMPINAS (SP)

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a relação entre a reestruturação urbano-industrial e os conflitos na conservação do patrimônio industrial de Campinas. A análise privilegia o final dos anos 1970 até 2014, anos de intensificação dos processos destacados. Nossa pesquisa teve como procedimentos metodológicos: revisão bibliográfica, trabalhos de campo, entrevistas, pesquisa documental, produção cartográfica. O estudo mostra que, em Campinas, o elevado número de tombamentos associados à dimensão cotidiana do trabalho indica uma tendência política de preservação da memória trabalhadora, ferroviária e industrial. Entretanto, muitos dos tombamentos contribuíram contraditoriamente para a deterioração de exemplares do patrimônio industrial da cidade. Nesse sentido, os projetos e as ações impelidas pelos agentes produtores do espaço urbano de Campinas – o poder público municipal, os empresários, os moradores (antigos e novos), as instituições e os grupos políticos de defesa do patrimônio – evidenciam os conflitos pelos usos, funções e apropriação material e simbólica da cidade. Palavras-chave: reestruturação urbano-industrial; patrimônio cultural; produção do espaço urbano. PRESERVE FOR WHOM? THE CONTRADICTIONS IN THE PRESERVATION OF THE URBAN-INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN CAMPINAS (SP) Abstract: The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between urban-industrial restructuring and conflicts in the conservation of the industrial heritage of Campinas. The analysis privileges the late 1970s to 2014, years in which the highlighted processes were intensified. As methodological procedures, our research had: bibliographic review, fieldwork, interviews, documentary research, cartographic production. The study shows that, in Campinas, the high number of legally protected buildings associated with the daily dimension of work indicates a political tendency to preserve working, railway and industrial memory. However, many rules contradictorily contributed to the deterioration of specimens of the city's industrial heritage. In this sense, the projects and actions driven by the producing agents of the urban space of Campinas – the municipal public power, the businessmen, the residents (old and new), the institutions and the political groups for the defense of the heritage – evidence the conflicts over the uses, functions and the material and symbolic appropriation of the city. Keywords: urban-industrial restructuring; cultural heritage; urban space production. ¿CONSERVAR PARA QUIÉN? LAS CONTRADICCIONES EN LA PRESERVACIÓN DEL PATRIMONIO URBANO-INDUSTRIAL EN CAMPINAS (SP) Resumen: El propósito de este artículo es analizar la relación entre la reestructuración urbano-industrial y los conflictos en la conservación del patrimonio industrial de Campinas. El análisis privilegia los últimos años de la década de 1970 hasta 2014, años de intensificación de los procesos destacados. Nuestra investigación tuvo como procedimientos metodológicos: revisión bibliográfica, trabajo de campo, entrevistas, investigación documental, producción cartográfica. El estudio muestra que, en Campinas, el elevado número de edificios legalmente protegidos asociados a la dimensión cotidiana del trabajo indica una tendencia política a preservar la memoria laboral, ferroviaria e industrial. Sin embargo, muchas de las normas han contribuido de forma contradictoria al deterioro de ejemplares del patrimonio industrial de la ciudad. En este sentido, los proyectos y acciones impulsados ​​por los agentes productores del espacio urbano de Campinas – el poder público municipal, los empresarios, los vecinos (viejos y nuevos), las instituciones y los grupos políticos de defensa del patrimonio – evidencian los conflictos por los usos, funciones y apropiación material y simbólica de la ciudad. Palabras clave: reestructuración urbano-industrial; patrimonio cultural; producción de espacio urbano.

Structural Change in South Africa

This chapter traces how policies and institutions flowing from the post-apartheid political settlement in South Africa gave rise to a range of rents and rent-like transfers, which have not, however, been adequately invested to advance structural transformation. Rather, corporate and industrial restructuring has been associated with a ‘high-profit and low-investment’ economy and deindustrialization. Low investment, job losses, and limited black participation in the ‘commanding heights’ of the economy from the mid-1990s spurred the political impetus for a stronger role for the state during the 2000s. The formal introduction of industrial policy in 2007 has had some successes and helped to avert even deeper deindustrialization. However, it has been undermined by unsupportive macroeconomic policies and a weak articulation between policies to advance black ownership and structural transformation. Rising corruption and maladministration have further undermined structural transformation. Implications are drawn from South Africa’s experience for middle-income countries more generally.

Regional Industrial Development under Liberal Economic Regime in Punjab

The objective of this study was two-fold, firstly, it analysed industrial development trends and deceleration across major Indian states since 1980-81 and, investigated industrial development in Punjab, a mineral resources deprived and a land-locked state. It was important as the policy changed at the national level in 1991 and removed various benefits for industrial development in mineralresources deprived regions and economically backward regions. To analyse the objective, both primary as well as secondary information was used. Findings of the study highlighted that industrial restructuring took place across major states in India during 1980-81 to 2017-18. In general, economically poor states and mineral resources deprived states witnessed the deceleration of the industrial sector. The position of the industrial sector in Punjab declined as compared to other states and compared to its past. The discussions with various stakeholders, including sampled industrial units, representatives of industrial associations, etc., highlighted various economic and non-economic factors behind the ongoing industrial deceleration in Punjab.

New spatialities of work in the city

This introduction discusses the objectives and concepts underlying the Special Issue on the new spatialities of work in the city. It highlights the urban impact of both the changing spatiotemporal working patterns and the increased diversity of workspaces that have resulted from post-industrial restructuring, globalisation, labour market flexibilisation and digitisation. Even pre-COVID-19, when the research in this Special Issue was undertaken, this impact on the urban structure and the social fabric of cities was significant, but it had remained underexplored. Here, therefore, we question models of work and commuting that continue to assume the spatially ‘fixed’ workplace, and explore how new understandings of workspace and multi-locality, developed in this Special Issue, can inform future research. This, we argue, is more important than ever as we come to understand the medium- and long-term impacts of pandemic-altered work practices in cities. We further argue that the spatialities of work need to be connected with research on health, job quality and wellbeing in cities – such as, for example, on the risks that COVID-19 has exposed for driving and mobile work.

Impacts of Industrial Restructuring and Technological Progress on PM2.5 Pollution: Evidence from Prefecture-Level Cities in China

PM2.5 pollution has produced adverse effects all over the world, especially in fast-developing China. PM2.5 pollution in China is widespread and serious, which has aroused widespread concern of the government, the public and scholars. This paper evaluates the evolution trend and spatial pattern of PM2.5 pollution in China based on the data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2017, and reveals the pollution situation of PM2.5 and its relationship with industrial restructuring and technological progress by using spatial dynamic panel model. The results show that China’s PM2.5 pollution has significant path dependence and spatial correlation, and the industrial restructuring and technological progress have significant positive effects on alleviating PM2.5 pollution. As a decomposition item of technological progress, technical change effectively alleviates PM2.5 pollution. Another important discovery is that the interaction between industrial restructuring and technological progress will aggravate PM2.5 pollution. Finally, in order to effectively improve China’s air quality, while advocating the Chinese government to pursue high-quality development, this paper puts forward a regional joint prevention mechanism.