The development of green open spaces is the key component for cities built for the people and a major initiative to enhance the core competitiveness of Chinese cities.This paper summarizes the research on green open s...The development of green open spaces is the key component for cities built for the people and a major initiative to enhance the core competitiveness of Chinese cities.This paper summarizes the research on green open spaces in international metropolitan cities,focusing on public participation,funding mix,and governmental actions.It focuses on the alignment of interests between public,private,and community sectors in New York City's green open space development in a series of case studies.It draws lessons from New York's experience and applies them to Chinese cities and proposes that:private non-government organizations should be introduced to improve the mechanism of major development and governance;real estate development incentives should be optimized to guide the private capital to provide public welfare;and policy innovation in land and property development is imperative in fiscal health and sustainability.展开更多
In order to improve air quality, the European Union introduced the New Air Quality Directive in 2008 and set its Member States strict targets on air pollution concentrations for the most harmful and challenging substa...In order to improve air quality, the European Union introduced the New Air Quality Directive in 2008 and set its Member States strict targets on air pollution concentrations for the most harmful and challenging substances, such as fine particles. The law enforcement relies on a monitoring and reporting system to inform the European Commission and the public, for it is the citizens' right to be informed about harmful air quality. With sectoral measures, air quality could be improved in the past 20 years, but some emissions concentrations have stagnated in recent years and emissions temporarily exceed thresholds in nearly half of the Member States. The European Emission Inventory allows the commission to identify the substances, areas, and times of exceedances, and to implement sectoral measures leading to air quality improvements, all of which have to be made available publicly. This manuscript introduces the air quality legislation and reviews the quality of European air for recent years.展开更多
Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979,China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of econom...Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979,China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of economy and society.This article explores an effective mechanism of managing resource and environment in China.It examines some major resource and environmental issues,and constructs a framework of institution innovation to cover three sectors(government,market and society) . In addition,the article analyzes their experience and evaluation in resource management and environmental conservation during the transitional period.We argue that the combination of market regulation,government intervention and public participation is an effective way of allocating resource and protecting environment. Some suggestions are put forward to balance the relationship between them,including coordinating role of government and market,building platform for market operation and creating an atmosphere of public participation.展开更多
This paper focuses on the public participation in environmental planning. After the decade for inaccessible information related to the decision taken, actually, the program of public participation is the reference of ...This paper focuses on the public participation in environmental planning. After the decade for inaccessible information related to the decision taken, actually, the program of public participation is the reference of all the decision making process. However, there are some factors that limit this process, such as poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and often the social inequality. Therefore, this study focuses first on the benefits of public participation in environmental planning, then the involvement of the local population, and finally the decision making access using a case study of Madagascar.展开更多
Global governance is often equated with international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank that were established after World War II to address problems transcending national borders. While these ...Global governance is often equated with international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank that were established after World War II to address problems transcending national borders. While these institutions incorporate norms of representative democracy that evolved in national societies, their legitimacy is often questioned on grounds of limited effectiveness and remoteness from the citizens they purportedly serve. The arguments of many democratic theorists that deliberation among ordinary citizens can legitimize policies that heed these views thus bear important implications for global governance. In this paper, the possibility and different ways that civil society enhancing public participation, transparency and accountability in global governance are addressed. The empirical focus will be on the world＇s first global deliberation--WWViews （world wide views on global warming） that was held in 38 countries with all inhabited continents in 2009. The social drivers that encourage innovation in global democratic governance are analysed, as the main successes and challenges of WWViews and sketch three scenarios of the future of deliberative global governance are based on the experiences and plans around global citizen participation. The authors argue that despite some challenges, such as ensuring high quality of deliberation in highly variant policy cultural contexts and building policy pathways conducive to political impact, the prospects of deliberation in helping solve global environmental and policy problems are high, and likely to see cumulative progress in the near future.展开更多
Public procurement （PP） is considered as one of the key most important functions of any government across the world. Over the years, it has been argued by the scholars that third party engagement （except government...Public procurement （PP） is considered as one of the key most important functions of any government across the world. Over the years, it has been argued by the scholars that third party engagement （except government officials and bidders） in procurement system facilitates to achieve good governance in this sector. In this regard, it is generally expected that third-party monitoring （TPM） of PP, especially monitoring by citizens might earn the trust and confidence of the people in government activities. This study aims at exploring the roles of media in promoting citizen engagement （CE） in PP in order to make the procurement process impartial, efficient, effective, and accountable. The study uses a qualitative methodology in conducting the research with the data being collected through key informant interview, semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions （FGD）, secondary document, and literature reviews. The findings of this study suggest that if the media can play an effective role, the procurement literacy rate will be increasing. Hence, an enabling environment could be created where people will feel at ease to talk about compliance with procurement rules and acts. Hence, media may act as a catalyst to promote citizens involvement in the PP process to hold the respective groups accountable for their activities.展开更多
The nuclear disaster at Fukushima has raised questions about the nature of democratic policymaking in Japan. Focusing on nuclear policymaking post-Fukushima, this paper considers ways in which the diversity of public ...The nuclear disaster at Fukushima has raised questions about the nature of democratic policymaking in Japan. Focusing on nuclear policymaking post-Fukushima, this paper considers ways in which the diversity of public opinion can be connected with legislative processes. The disaster forced the government to rethink existing nuclear policies. To infuse public voices into government policy, the Democratic Party of Japan （DPJ） government introduced a new method of public participation called ＂national debates＂, comprising a series of public hearings, mass public comments, and deliberative polling. The government also attached importance to anti-nuclear rallies and opinion polls conducted by the media. The national debates highlighted that the majority of Japanese people supported a nuclear-free society; as a result, the government drafted a new energy plan to phase out nuclear power by 2039. Owing to both domestic and international opposition, the plan failed to become law. Progress was also impeded by the public＇s contradictory demands. However, this paper posits that inefficient legislative deliberation was the main factor behind the policy failure. The Japanese case suggests that effective legislative deliberation is crucial to assessing and coordinating numerous divergent public voices.展开更多
This research aimed to study on the people and the local government. The samples were 395 respondents over 18 years old, selected locally of Mahasarakham Municipality, Thailand. The research found that the level of kn...This research aimed to study on the people and the local government. The samples were 395 respondents over 18 years old, selected locally of Mahasarakham Municipality, Thailand. The research found that the level of knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward civic rights and duties of administrative affairs was at a high level but participation in the local administration was rated at a low level. The relationship between knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward civic rights and duties of administrative affairs of the community was positive correlated. The relationship between knowledge and understanding toward civic rights and duties and participation in the community administration and the relationship between attitudes toward civic rights and duties in administrative affairs and participation in the local government administration were not correlated. Some recommendations were the local government organizations should promote and provide more information to build the right understandings and improve good attitudes toward civic rights and duties in administrative affairs. Local administrators and local leaders should play an important role to advocate and encourage public opinions toward a political ideology to ensure the public mind and make the vision ＂people-centered＂. Most importantly, the State shall pursue directive principles of State policies in relation to public participation.展开更多
Under the framework of developing resilient and livable cities, this study was aimed at engaging local communities to achieve the goal of public participation. Given the prevalence of smart mobile devices, an interact...Under the framework of developing resilient and livable cities, this study was aimed at engaging local communities to achieve the goal of public participation. Given the prevalence of smart mobile devices, an interactive app called ＂Citizen Probe＂ was designed to guide users to participate in building resilient and livable urban spaces by enabling users to report the condition of their living environment. The app collects feedback from users regarding the perceived condition of the urban environment, and this information is used to further develop an open online index system. The index system serves as a guide for the public to actively transform their city into a resilient and livable urban environment. The app was designed for the reporting of flood incidents with the objective of resilient disaster prevention, which can be achieved by enabling users to identify disaster conditions in order to develop a database for basic disaster information. The database can be used in the prevention and mitigation of disasters and to provide a foundation for developing indices for assessing the resilience and livability of urban areas. Three communities in Taichung, Taiwan, participated in the study. Residents of these communities were requested to use the app and identify local environmental conditions to obtain spatial data according to four stages in disaster response： assessment, readiness, response, and recovery. A volunteered geographic information database was developed to display maps for providing users with current reports ofpredisaster risk assessment, disaster response capacity, real-time disaster conditions, and overall disaster recovery. In addition, the database can be used as a useful tool for researchers to conduct GIS analyses and initiate related discussions. The interactive appraises public awareness on disaster prevention and makes disaster prevention a daily norm. Further discussion between the public and experts will be initiated to assist in policy management pertaining to the ongoing development of cities in addition to improving disaster prevention and response measures.展开更多
文摘The development of green open spaces is the key component for cities built for the people and a major initiative to enhance the core competitiveness of Chinese cities.This paper summarizes the research on green open spaces in international metropolitan cities,focusing on public participation,funding mix,and governmental actions.It focuses on the alignment of interests between public,private,and community sectors in New York City's green open space development in a series of case studies.It draws lessons from New York's experience and applies them to Chinese cities and proposes that:private non-government organizations should be introduced to improve the mechanism of major development and governance;real estate development incentives should be optimized to guide the private capital to provide public welfare;and policy innovation in land and property development is imperative in fiscal health and sustainability.
基金the Comparative Policy and Practice Study of the EU-China Environmental Governance Programme’s core theme Public Access to Environmental Information with funding from the European Union(www.ecegp.com)
文摘In order to improve air quality, the European Union introduced the New Air Quality Directive in 2008 and set its Member States strict targets on air pollution concentrations for the most harmful and challenging substances, such as fine particles. The law enforcement relies on a monitoring and reporting system to inform the European Commission and the public, for it is the citizens' right to be informed about harmful air quality. With sectoral measures, air quality could be improved in the past 20 years, but some emissions concentrations have stagnated in recent years and emissions temporarily exceed thresholds in nearly half of the Member States. The European Emission Inventory allows the commission to identify the substances, areas, and times of exceedances, and to implement sectoral measures leading to air quality improvements, all of which have to be made available publicly. This manuscript introduces the air quality legislation and reviews the quality of European air for recent years.
基金funded by important direction of Chinese Academy of Sciences Knowledge Innovation Project(Grant no.kzcx2-yw-321)the National Natural Science Funds of Research on Water Pollution Effects of Industrial Agglomeration and Spatial Optimization-Case of Sunan Area(Grant no. 70703033)
文摘Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979,China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of economy and society.This article explores an effective mechanism of managing resource and environment in China.It examines some major resource and environmental issues,and constructs a framework of institution innovation to cover three sectors(government,market and society) . In addition,the article analyzes their experience and evaluation in resource management and environmental conservation during the transitional period.We argue that the combination of market regulation,government intervention and public participation is an effective way of allocating resource and protecting environment. Some suggestions are put forward to balance the relationship between them,including coordinating role of government and market,building platform for market operation and creating an atmosphere of public participation.
文摘This paper focuses on the public participation in environmental planning. After the decade for inaccessible information related to the decision taken, actually, the program of public participation is the reference of all the decision making process. However, there are some factors that limit this process, such as poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and often the social inequality. Therefore, this study focuses first on the benefits of public participation in environmental planning, then the involvement of the local population, and finally the decision making access using a case study of Madagascar.
文摘Global governance is often equated with international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank that were established after World War II to address problems transcending national borders. While these institutions incorporate norms of representative democracy that evolved in national societies, their legitimacy is often questioned on grounds of limited effectiveness and remoteness from the citizens they purportedly serve. The arguments of many democratic theorists that deliberation among ordinary citizens can legitimize policies that heed these views thus bear important implications for global governance. In this paper, the possibility and different ways that civil society enhancing public participation, transparency and accountability in global governance are addressed. The empirical focus will be on the world＇s first global deliberation--WWViews （world wide views on global warming） that was held in 38 countries with all inhabited continents in 2009. The social drivers that encourage innovation in global democratic governance are analysed, as the main successes and challenges of WWViews and sketch three scenarios of the future of deliberative global governance are based on the experiences and plans around global citizen participation. The authors argue that despite some challenges, such as ensuring high quality of deliberation in highly variant policy cultural contexts and building policy pathways conducive to political impact, the prospects of deliberation in helping solve global environmental and policy problems are high, and likely to see cumulative progress in the near future.
文摘Public procurement （PP） is considered as one of the key most important functions of any government across the world. Over the years, it has been argued by the scholars that third party engagement （except government officials and bidders） in procurement system facilitates to achieve good governance in this sector. In this regard, it is generally expected that third-party monitoring （TPM） of PP, especially monitoring by citizens might earn the trust and confidence of the people in government activities. This study aims at exploring the roles of media in promoting citizen engagement （CE） in PP in order to make the procurement process impartial, efficient, effective, and accountable. The study uses a qualitative methodology in conducting the research with the data being collected through key informant interview, semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions （FGD）, secondary document, and literature reviews. The findings of this study suggest that if the media can play an effective role, the procurement literacy rate will be increasing. Hence, an enabling environment could be created where people will feel at ease to talk about compliance with procurement rules and acts. Hence, media may act as a catalyst to promote citizens involvement in the PP process to hold the respective groups accountable for their activities.
文摘The nuclear disaster at Fukushima has raised questions about the nature of democratic policymaking in Japan. Focusing on nuclear policymaking post-Fukushima, this paper considers ways in which the diversity of public opinion can be connected with legislative processes. The disaster forced the government to rethink existing nuclear policies. To infuse public voices into government policy, the Democratic Party of Japan （DPJ） government introduced a new method of public participation called ＂national debates＂, comprising a series of public hearings, mass public comments, and deliberative polling. The government also attached importance to anti-nuclear rallies and opinion polls conducted by the media. The national debates highlighted that the majority of Japanese people supported a nuclear-free society; as a result, the government drafted a new energy plan to phase out nuclear power by 2039. Owing to both domestic and international opposition, the plan failed to become law. Progress was also impeded by the public＇s contradictory demands. However, this paper posits that inefficient legislative deliberation was the main factor behind the policy failure. The Japanese case suggests that effective legislative deliberation is crucial to assessing and coordinating numerous divergent public voices.
文摘This research aimed to study on the people and the local government. The samples were 395 respondents over 18 years old, selected locally of Mahasarakham Municipality, Thailand. The research found that the level of knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward civic rights and duties of administrative affairs was at a high level but participation in the local administration was rated at a low level. The relationship between knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward civic rights and duties of administrative affairs of the community was positive correlated. The relationship between knowledge and understanding toward civic rights and duties and participation in the community administration and the relationship between attitudes toward civic rights and duties in administrative affairs and participation in the local government administration were not correlated. Some recommendations were the local government organizations should promote and provide more information to build the right understandings and improve good attitudes toward civic rights and duties in administrative affairs. Local administrators and local leaders should play an important role to advocate and encourage public opinions toward a political ideology to ensure the public mind and make the vision ＂people-centered＂. Most importantly, the State shall pursue directive principles of State policies in relation to public participation.
文摘Under the framework of developing resilient and livable cities, this study was aimed at engaging local communities to achieve the goal of public participation. Given the prevalence of smart mobile devices, an interactive app called ＂Citizen Probe＂ was designed to guide users to participate in building resilient and livable urban spaces by enabling users to report the condition of their living environment. The app collects feedback from users regarding the perceived condition of the urban environment, and this information is used to further develop an open online index system. The index system serves as a guide for the public to actively transform their city into a resilient and livable urban environment. The app was designed for the reporting of flood incidents with the objective of resilient disaster prevention, which can be achieved by enabling users to identify disaster conditions in order to develop a database for basic disaster information. The database can be used in the prevention and mitigation of disasters and to provide a foundation for developing indices for assessing the resilience and livability of urban areas. Three communities in Taichung, Taiwan, participated in the study. Residents of these communities were requested to use the app and identify local environmental conditions to obtain spatial data according to four stages in disaster response： assessment, readiness, response, and recovery. A volunteered geographic information database was developed to display maps for providing users with current reports ofpredisaster risk assessment, disaster response capacity, real-time disaster conditions, and overall disaster recovery. In addition, the database can be used as a useful tool for researchers to conduct GIS analyses and initiate related discussions. The interactive appraises public awareness on disaster prevention and makes disaster prevention a daily norm. Further discussion between the public and experts will be initiated to assist in policy management pertaining to the ongoing development of cities in addition to improving disaster prevention and response measures.
