NOTES ON SPATIAL-STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA -THE 1990s

Informal businesses used to be something that was only tolerated in the former black townships during the years of apartheid. Since then the informal business sector has become an integral part of the central business setup of cities in South Africa. It not only serves to widen the security net of the urban poor in cities, it also represents the outcome of the democratization process in the country over the past fifteen years. Yet, there has been a tendency amongst local authorities to take steps to reduce the footprint of this sector in the urban environment in recent years. This trend ties in with the new approach of government to transform South African cities to become ’world class’ centres - a step that is aimed at making the cities more visually acceptable to visitors from abroad. In this paper an attempt is made to demonstrate the importance of the informal sector within the urban business makeup and to show what role it played in the spatial-structural evolution of the urban economies during the 1990s. The paper analyzes the structure of the urban business sector as a whole and structurally links the formal and informal sectors, demonstrating the importance of both sectors in the economic makeup of the cities. It analyses the structure of the informal sector and shows how different layers of the sector potentially relates to the formal urban sector.

Analysis and amendment of Reily law from the perspective of urban business district competition

In the process of urbanization, the city’s population is growing and the area is also expanding, and the commercial pattern of “multi center, multi business circle” gradually appears. The competition and coordinated development between business circles has become a subject that we must pay attention to. In this paper, by reconstructing the evaluation index system of business district competition, introducing new factors such as Internet, we media and mobile terminal, we analyze and optimize the classical Reilly law model, so that it can better adapt to the development of the times.

NOTES ON SPATIAL-STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA -THE 1990s

Informal businesses used to be something that was only tolerated in the former black townships during the years of apartheid. Since then the informal business sector has become an integral part of the central business setup of cities in South Africa. It not only serves to widen the security net of the urban poor in cities, it also represents the outcome of the democratization process in the country over the past fifteen years. Yet, there has been a tendency amongst local authorities to take steps to reduce the footprint of this sector in the urban environment in recent years. This trend ties in with the new approach of government to transform South African cities to become ’world class’ centres - a step that is aimed at making the cities more visually acceptable to visitors from abroad. In this paper an attempt is made to demonstrate the importance of the informal sector within the urban business makeup and to show what role it played in the spatial-structural evolution of the urban economies during the 1990s. The paper analyzes the structure of the urban business sector as a whole and structurally links the formal and informal sectors, demonstrating the importance of both sectors in the economic makeup of the cities. It analyses the structure of the informal sector and shows how different layers of the sector potentially relates to the formal urban sector.

URBAN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: MANAGING CROSS-CULTURAL PROBLEMS

Paper considers in detail the issue of multicultural urban business environment in the context of managing cross-cultural problems within globalization. When people try to accept and respect different cultures, they will gain new opportunities and experiences. One of the most effective tools is tolerant communication leading to understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity. In this research, we study the contemporary concept of urban business environment as a set of external and internal factors influencing business development in the framework of urban infrastructure. The authors provide their own definition of the concept of globalization and also describe the key global trends, including globalization of human capital under the conditions of demographic and cultural diversity. The work is also aimed to detect how multiculture affects urban business environment in part of finding managerial solutions and countermeasures to overcome the major cross-cultural challenges.

Multicultural Urban Business Environment

This chapter considers in detail the issue of multicultural urban business environments in the context of managing cross-cultural problems within globalization. When people try to accept and respect different cultures, they will gain new opportunities and experiences. One of the most effective tools is tolerant communication leading to understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity. In this research, we study the contemporary concept of urban business environments as a set of external and internal factors influencing business development in the framework of an urban infrastructure. The authors provide their own definition of the concept of globalization and also describe the key global trends, including globalization of human capital under the conditions of demographic and cultural diversity. The work is also aimed to detect how multiculture affects urban business environment in part of finding managerial solutions and countermeasures to overcome the major cross-cultural challenges.

Global Economy Urbanization and Urban Economies Globalization

World economy globalization fundamentally changes the role of urban business systems. Now they are the main actors of global production and trade. The dominant share of international business activity is now concentrating within a framework of a global urban net. This trend transforms mechanisms and patterns of market economy of institutes; and stimulates an appearance of new economic, social, and political problems. This chapter includes statistical and comparative analyze of modern cities, their economic performance and position in global economic affairs and also the original authors' methodology for urban business structure evaluation. It allows the setting some theoretical findings about internal and external sources of urban business systems competitiveness and effectiveness in a globalizing economy and the formation of original approach to modern cities global hierarchy evaluation.

The Politics of Business

This essay examines the tenure of the Congress ministry (1937-39) in Bombay and argues that it allowed the Muslim League to define its contours of opposition in terms of economic policies, and position itself as a pro-business, urban grouping. The two factors that shaped this were the Congress’s decision to introduce Prohibition and levy urban property tax, sales tax on cloth and petrol; and the emergence of a loose Muslim League-led, anti-Congress coalition in Bombay politics that transcended religious and social barriers. The Bombay Assembly and Municipal Corporation witnessed the coming together of Parsi, Hindu and Muslim merchants and landlords. These factors played within the spectrum of the perceived rural turn taken by the Congress to the detriment of urban, business interests.