Developing an Integrative Theoretical Framework for Climate Proofing Spatial Planning across Sectors, Policy Levels, and Planning Areas

Spatial planning holds a key role in preventing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on both cities and rural areas, taking a forward-thinking and holistic approach to urban and regional development. As such, spatial planning deals with challenges occurring at different scales and across sectors. The international literature points out the need for horizontal and vertical cooperation to tackle climate change impacts. This paper discusses the general challenges for climate proofing across planning levels, sectors, and areas and provides a systematic overview of challenges that would affect an integrative theoretical framework for climate proofing. Based on the latter, the study ultimately aims at presenting a novel theoretical framework for Climate Proofing specific to spatial planning involving a multi-sectoral perspective. An iterative process was used for conceptual development, based on a literature review followed by external feedback meetings with the core team of planning experts responsible for exchange across federal states and two workshops with focus groups of experts of planning departments responsible for federal, regional, and local spatial planning. Implementation and further development of the framework are planned as the second phase of this study. By specifically addressing the challenges relating to cross-regional and cross-sectoral planning, this novel framework attempts to discuss the (i) consideration of the hierarchy of climate proofing measures through enhanced vertical and horizontal cooperation as well as the (ii) long-term institutionalisation of integrative planning processes across planning borders. It attempts also to (iii) foster the consideration of co-benefits for joint adaptation purposes and climate change mitigation through encouraging multi-disciplinary perspectives

Tourism as a Key for Regional Revitalization?: A Quantitative Evaluation of Tourism Zone Development in Japan

Since the dawn of the 21st century, Japan has switched its national industry strategy from traditional industries—manufacturing and trading—toward tourism. Regional revitalization is a particularly important issue in Japan, and by uniting regions as an integrated tourism zone, the government expects an increase in visits to tourism zones. This study quantitatively evaluates whether the regions that contain a tourism zone experience a significant increase in visitors by using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design. Additionally, it examines the effects of subsidies through regression modeling. The results indicated that the tourism zones that were comprised of a narrow region in the same prefectures experienced a significant increase in visitors. The subsidy on information transmission, measures for the secondary traffic, and space formation had a significant positive impact on the increase in visitors to these tourism zones. Implications on tourism policies, urban and regional development, and community development can be obtained through this study.

Carnaval de rua em disputa em Santa Cruz do Sul/RS

Carnaval faz parte da cultura popular do Brasil. Entretanto, em algumas regiões a festa não recebe tanto destaque quanto em outras. No município de Santa Cruz do Sul, localizado no Vale do Rio Pardo/RS, a realização do tradicional carnaval de rua de escolas de samba e blocos é motivo de disputas entre sociedades carnavalescas, poder público e iniciativa privada. O artigo discute estas disputas por meio do estudo dos dois carnavais de rua que ocorrem na cidade, um, a Descida da Júlio, que surge inicialmente como resistência a alterações no carnaval de rua tradicional propostas pela prefeitura municipal. Outro, o Bailinho de Carnaval da Borges, que nasceu da inovação de empresários locais. Estas duas alternativas são analisadas como meios para discutir as tensões no campo cultural, através da principal festa popular nacional, tendo ao fundo as questões de identidade e o direito à cidade. O artigo se orienta pela teoria dos estudos culturais, em diálogo com a literatura sobre desenvolvimento urbano e regional. Baseia-se em revisão de literatura e análise documental. Os resultados apontam para as fissuras sociais existentes na cidade e os projetos distintos de sociedade. Carnaval; Identidade; Culturas Populares; Direito à cidade. Carnival is part of popular culture in Brazil. However, in some regions of the country, this party is not given as much prominence as in others. In the municipality of Santa Cruz do Sul, in Vale do Rio Pardo/RS, the traditional street carnival, with samba schools and blocks, is the subject of disputes between carnival clubs, the government, and the private sector. This article discusses these disputes through the analysis of the two street carnivals that take place in town: the one known as Descida da Júlio, which initially emerges as an act of resistance to changes in the traditional street carnival proposed by the local government; and the one known as Bailinho de Carnaval da Borges, the result of an innovative initiative of local business owners. These two alternatives are analyzed as a means to discuss tensions in the cultural context, through the main national popular festival, having as background matters related to identity and the right to the city. This article follows the theory of cultural studies, in dialogue with the literature on urban and regional development. It is based on literature review and document analysis. The results indicate existing social fissures in the municipality and different society projects. Carnival;. Identity; Popular cultures; Right to the city. El carnaval es parte de la cultura popular en Brasil. Sin embargo, en algunas regiones la fiesta no tiene tanta prominencia como em otras. En la ciudad de Santa Cruz do Sul, ubicada en el Vale do Rio Pardo/RS, el tradicional carnaval callejero de escuelas y cuadras de samba es objeto de disputas entre sociedades carnavalescas, Estado e iniciativa privada. El artículo discute estas disputas a través del estudio de los dos carnavales callejeros que tienen lugar en la ciudad, uno, Descida da Júlio, que surge inicialmente como una resistencia a los cambios en el tradicional carnaval callejero propuesto por el ayuntamiento. Otro, Bailinho de Carnaval da Borges, que nasció de la innovación de los empresarios locales. Estas dos alternativas se analizan como una forma de discutir las tensiones en el ámbito cultural, a través de la principal fiesta popular nacional, con cuestiones de identidad y el derecho a la ciudad del fondo. El artículo se guía por la teoría de los estudios culturales, en diálogo con la literatura sobre desarrollo urbano y regional. Se basa en la revisión de la literatura y el análisis de documentos. Los resultados apuntan a las fisuras sociales existentes en la ciudad y los diferentes proyectos de sociedad. Carnaval; Identidad; Culturas Populares; Derecho a la ciudad.

Developing an Integrative Theoretical Framework for Climate Proofing Spatial Planning Across Sectors, Policy Levels and Planning Areas

Spatial planning holds a key role in preventing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on both cities and rural areas, taking a forward-thinking and holistic approach to urban and regional development. As such, spatial planning deals with challenges occurring at different scales and across sectors. The international literature points out the need for horizontal and vertical cooperation to tackle climate change impacts. While there is abundant knowledge regarding the challenges related to climate change at different spatial levels, procedural integration into planning frameworks and practice is currently under-researched. This paper presents a novel theoretical framework that integrates various steps towards a holistic, integrative and adaptive climate proofing process. An iterative process was used for conceptual development, based on literature review followed by external feedback meetings and two workshops with the core team of planning experts responsible for exchange across federal states. By specifically addressing the challenges relating to cross-regional and cross-sectoral planning, this novel framework attempts to (i) facilitate a hierarchy of measures, (ii) maximise co-benefits for various adaptation purposes and climate change mitigation and (iii) foster the long-term institutionalisation of integrative processes across sectors, planning areas and policy levels.

Power, production and disorder: The decline of Sweden’s housing industrial complex and the origins of the present housing discontents

It is often assumed in housing and urban studies scholarship that the roots of Sweden’s present housing discontents are to be found in a neoliberal ‘system switch’ following the early-1990s banking crisis. This paper offers a different account, identifying and expounding how insuperable contradictions in Sweden’s complex of housing production, distribution and finance, from the 1970s onward, led to a marked deterioration in its much-lauded housing model. Advancing a historical institutionalist framework, the paper seeks to historically couch the processes and outcomes commonly associated with the contemporary neoliberal era and position them more concretely in relation to actors and their social relations through time. Using a range of data pertaining to housing finance, subsidies, house prices and building output, as part of a mixed-methods analysis, the paper explores how macroeconomic factors, mediated by interactions between the state and sectoral cleavages, influence urban and regional development aspects. The paper’s conceptual and methodological relevance to housing and urban studies scholarship thus extends beyond Sweden.

Geography and the theory of uneven and combined development: Theorizing uniqueness and the return of China

As societal interaction and combination play a vital role in shaping spatio-temporal development paths, meta-theories of uneven development should give way to a relational meta-theory of uneven and combined development (U&CD). U&CD examines at multiple levels of abstraction not just internal causal mechanisms governing the trajectories of individual societies but also causal mechanisms deriving from societal interaction in a world of multiple unevenly developed societies and multiple development pathways. As a consequence it helps explain geographical differentiation and the multiplicity, hybridity and multilinearity of processes of development. As U&CD examines the roles of ideal and efficient causes and causal laws, it also entails revitalized social science and political economy approaches in geography and urban and regional development studies. To demonstrate the indispensability of analyses of the role of societal interaction and the explanatory significance of the theory of U&CD, a series of longue-durée vignettes explore their role in explanations of the spatio-temporality of the decline and subsequent return of China in a changing and interdependent world.

Managed Retreat as Adaptation Option: Investigating Different Resettlement Approaches and Their Impacts—Lessons from Metro Manila

Managed retreat has become a recommended adaptation strategy for hazard-prone coastal cities. The study aimed to improve considerations for the contextual factors that influence the success of managed retreat and resettlement projects in Metro Manila. Data were collected through a mixed-method approach consisting of a screening of relevant literature, a qualitative case analysis of resettlement projects, and a workshop series with Philippine stakeholders. It turned out that the resettlement of informal settlers is a central element of urban development. Though in-city resettlement is preferred, the majority of existing and planned projects are developed in off-city locations. The findings present a nuanced view of different retreat approaches. Not all in-city resettlements are successful, and the unpopular off-city projects have a potentially important role for urban and regional development. A strategic planning thread to develop concepts for qualitative off-city settlements that counteract uncontrolled urban sprawl with monofunctional residential areas for urban poor people was deduced. The other thread asks for pathways for inner-city development with innovative, vertical, in-city projects. A final observation was that climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are worsening the situation in informal settlements, thus strengthening the argument for the planned decentralization of Metro Manila’s congested urban areas.

Human Behaviour and the Development of Cities and Regions

This chapter argues that the roots of behavioural theories of development relate to the interplay between cultural and psychological factors, with institutions playing a moderating role between intended and actualized human behaviour. It proposes that the forms of human agency associated with such behaviour are likely to impact upon urban and regional development outcomes. It introduces the role of power, and how this underpins the means by which agency facilitates institutional change. To connect the arguments made in the preceding sections, it sketches an emergent conceptual behavioural model of urban and regional development, and concludes that urban and regional development theories should seek to engage further with behavioural explanations as a means of understanding long-term evolutionary patterns.

Addressing Unevenness

This chapter argues that the role of behavioural perspectives, encompassing culture, psychology, and agency, can provide new insights into the persistence of the long-term unevenness of development across cities and regions. A psychocultural theory of development builds upon person–environment theories that have previously sought to explain ecological behaviour across cities and regions rather than their economies. In particular, it seeks to facilitate a better understanding of the connectivity between upstream and downstream explanations of urban and regional development, and indeed the extent to which such an ‘upstream–downstream’ dichotomy is valid. Such a perspective should further provide an indicator of how and why behaviour-based policy intervention may impact on urban and regional development outcomes. It is argued that it is important to understand the motivations behind such policies, with governments potentially utilizing them to achieve the aims of a range of agendas, from shrinking the state to increasing their sphere of influence through the employment of ‘psychocrats’ who shape these policies.