The city as a common good

The contemporary urbanization process in Brazil is directly related to the dynamics of the capitalist production mode. In this production mode the urban land, as well as habitation, become commodities – individual or collective consumer goods. With the increase in municipal autonomy back in the 1990s, along with the approval of the Statue of Cities in 2001, new tools for organization of urban territory and production of habitations were created. This work makes a brief analysis of the right to city’s trajectory, since the creation of such concept by Henri Lefebvre in the 1960s, until the concept’s appropriation by Brazilian legislation. Through bibliographical review, it relates the social role of property as means to grant the right to the city.

Balancing Competences? Proportionality as an Instrument to Regulate the Exercise of Competences after the PSPP Judgment of the Bundesverfassungsgericht

Analysis of proportionality in the context of Article 5 TEU after the PSPP judgment – Bundesverfassungsgericht challenging Court of Justice to control European Central Bank’s motives – Doctrinal tradition of ‘smoking out’ illicit motives through proportionality – Article 5(4) TEU: proportionality of exercise of competences, primarily safeguarding member states’ autonomy – Court of Justice case law on proportionality: deferential standard of review towards measures of EU institutions – Bundesverfassungsgericht case law on federal competences and municipal autonomy: less deferential but still respectful standard of review – PSPP inconsistent with case law and with Article 5 TEU – Balancing-stage of proportionality unsuitable for motive control

Tribunal troubles: an analysis of the potential effects of Bill 139 on housing affordability, and the transparency and efficiency of Ontario's land use planning and appeal system

This Major Research Paper (MRP) analyzes the potential effects of Bill 139 on housing affordability, and the transparency and efficiency of land use planning in the province of Ontario. Specifically, this MRP analyzes how changes to Ontario‘s Development and Land Use Appeals Process may impact the delivery of new housing supply to market, hence, impacting affordability. Additionally, this MRP evaluates changes in the appeals process in regards to increased transparency, an expected outcome of Bill 139. A qualitative analysis of the Bill 139 reforms finds that Ontario‘s land use planning and appeal systems require immediate assistance in regards to implementation, and further reform in terms of municipal autonomy, decision making power of the tribunal, and the nature of appeal hearings.

Tribunal troubles: an analysis of the potential effects of Bill 139 on housing affordability, and the transparency and efficiency of Ontario's land use planning and appeal system

This Major Research Paper (MRP) analyzes the potential effects of Bill 139 on housing affordability, and the transparency and efficiency of land use planning in the province of Ontario. Specifically, this MRP analyzes how changes to Ontario‘s Development and Land Use Appeals Process may impact the delivery of new housing supply to market, hence, impacting affordability. Additionally, this MRP evaluates changes in the appeals process in regards to increased transparency, an expected outcome of Bill 139. A qualitative analysis of the Bill 139 reforms finds that Ontario‘s land use planning and appeal systems require immediate assistance in regards to implementation, and further reform in terms of municipal autonomy, decision making power of the tribunal, and the nature of appeal hearings.

MUNICÍPIO, PODER LOCAL E PLANOS MUNICIPAIS DE EDUCAÇÃO

As discussões acerca do planejamento educacional em geral e, em âmbito municipal em particular, exigem novas reflexões a fim de situar a materialização da autonomia municipal, sobretudo no que concerne à sua política educacional tendo como epicentro seu respectivo plano municipal de educação. O presente texto tem por objetivo contextualizar o município enquanto ente federativo situando tal status jurídico-normativo à materialização da sua autonomia em matéria educacional, a partir das discussões de poder local e plano municipal de educação. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa constitui-se bibliográfica e documental na medida em que se busca a compreensão da produção do conhecimento científico acerca de determinados recortes da realidade investigada. O reconhecimento do município como ente federativo requer novas aproximações acerca do papel das instâncias e sujeitos locais, sobretudo com o advento da legislação educacional posterior à promulgação da Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988, que delimita o papel do poder local em matéria educacional.Palavras-chave: Planejamento educacional. Educação Municipal. Planos Municipais de Educação.MUNICIPALITY, LOCAL POWER AND MUNICIPAL EDUCATION PLANSAbstract Discussions about educational planning in general and, at the municipal level in particular, require new reflections in order to situate the materialization of municipal autonomy, especially with regard to its educational policy having its respective municipal education plan as its epicenter. This text aims to contextualize the municipality as a federative entity, placing such legal-normative status to the materialization of its autonomy in educational matters, based on discussions of local power and the municipal education plan. Methodologically, the research constitutes bibliographic and documentary insofar as it seeks to understand the production of scientific knowledge about certain aspects of the investigated reality. The recognition of the municipality as a federative entity requires new approaches to the role of local bodies and individuals, especially with the advent of educational legislation after the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution, which delimits the role of local power in educational matters.Keywords: Educational planning. Municipal Education. Municipal Education Plans.PLANES DE MUNICIPIO, PODER LOCAL Y EDUCACIÓN MUNICIPALResumenLas discusiones sobre la planificación educativa en general y, a nivel municipal en particular, requieren nuevas reflexiones para ubicar la materialización de la autonomía municipal, especialmente en lo que se refiere a su política educativa que tiene como epicentro su respectivo plan de educación municipal. Este texto tiene como objetivo contextualizar el municipio como entidad federativa, situando tal estatus jurídico-normativo a la materialización de su autonomía en materia educativa, a partir de discusiones sobre el poder local y el plan educativo municipal. Metodológicamente, la investigación se constituye bibliográfica y documental en la medida en que busca comprender la producción de conocimiento científico sobre determinados aspectos de la realidad investigada. El reconocimiento del municipio como entidad federativa requiere nuevos enfoques del papel de los entes locales y de las personas, especialmente con el advenimiento de la legislación educativa tras la promulgación de la Constitución de 1988, que delimita el papel del poder local en materia educativa.Palabras clave: Planificación educativa. Educación Municipal. Planes de Educación Municipal.

Kommunale Handlungsfähigkeit im europäischen Vergleich

This book compares the roles of municipalities in Europe, using categories such as municipal autonomy, task profiles, territorial and political frameworks, and financial conditions. Past and present reform trends and discourses are also described and classified. The study constitutes a secondary analysis of existing empirical research and presents current figures from various sources. It was conducted by a team led by Prof. Sabine Kuhlmann from the Department of Political Science, Administration and Organisation at the University of Potsdam.

The conflict free arena? Effects of procedure of selecting local heads in large Russian cities

Local self-government in Russia throughout its history has remained a place for constant reforming. Amendments to the federal law from 2015 introduced a new procedure of selecting local heads or mayors – through competition commissions with a subsequent vote in local assemblies. By now, this selection model has become the most widespread among Russian municipalities. There is no surprise that regional authorities encourage the introduction of this selection model as it endows them with more power over local elites. In our study, we question whether the new model of selecting municipal heads via competition leave the room for municipal autonomy? In which cases we can detect instances of administrative autonomy? To answer these questions, we rely on the new data on the voting results within municipal assemblies in 158 cases of selecting local mayors in Russian cities with population of more than 100 thousand people. The key findings stem from the regression analysis and they are as follows. Firstly, the competition procedure in big cities leaves little room for local autonomy, even in competitive cities the winning candidates receive an overwhelming majority of votes in local assemblies. Secondly, uniform voting is more widespread in mono-towns, while the development of small and medium-size business does not prevent the elite consolidation and even strengthens the loyalty of local assemblies. There is some evidence of ‘the disciplining effect’ of the so-called ‘varangian’ governors. Lastly, a more competitive electoral profile as well as the presence of local intra-elite clashes reinforces the voting diversity and autonomy of local assemblies.

Experiences of a Little Cuban Town in Quarantine Because of Covid-19: Trade of Agricultural Products in the Search for Food Security

Food systems and trade of agricultural products have been affected by States measures in response to the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cuba, a Caribbean island, is equally hard hit by Coronavirus pandemic. Cuba’s reality becomes much more complex when it has to face the economic and financial blockade imposed as a unilateral coercive measure by the US government, causing the impossibility of buying raw materials abroad to produce first need products and food. This essay, framing the global problem of Covid-19, aims to understand how trade of agricultural products is regulated in Cuba in times of pandemic for quarantine areas, taking specific municipality experiences as a model. It is necessary to disseminate the good experiences following three main constitutional principles: right to adequate food, food safety and municipal autonomy. Main results are based on demonstrating if there is an appropriate articulation between local government, producers and trader’s direct benefits to strengthen the food security of population will be obtained.

Confluence and Contestation

This chapter highlights some of the moments and patterns that are illustrative of the particularities and peculiarities of the St. Louis region and are therefore important for understanding North St. Louis County. In many ways, the history of St. Louis in the latter part of the twentieth century closely follows the histories of most cities in the rust belt of the United States—in terms of de jure and de facto segregation in housing, education, and the labor force, as well as histories of suburbanization, discriminatory lending, and white flight. Moreover, the genealogies outlined in the chapter reflect the interconnected global histories of chattel slavery, colonial and imperial expansion, and capitalist development. In keeping with these histories, Black residents in the suburbs of North St. Louis County are disciplined as less-than-human, profit-generating bodies by tiny cities that have been stripped of resources and struggle to provide basic services except for an ever-expanding police force. A fierce desire for self-governance and municipal autonomy, a persistent tradition of parochial hierarchies, a peculiar reliance on the local courts, and the perpetual conflation of blackness and risk are legacies that result in specific forms of cultural politics and racialized practices across a highly fragmented geography.