223 research outputs found
Non-state space: The strategic ejection of dangerous and high maintenance urban space
Some commentators have characterised so-called âno-goâ areas as sites in which the
exercise of authority is prevented. Here we suggest that many such spaces are produced by
state, policing and citizen repertoires that aim to minimise the costs and risks of engaging,
supporting and servicing such spaces and their populations. In this article we locate
strategies of public spending, policing and political action that offer a governing logic in
which neighbourhoods are essentially subtracted from the constitution of the city. During
such designations the assurances of citizenship, vitality of civic institutions and presence of
policing may be partially or wholly suspended. We present a framework for the
identification of such strategies in which these forms of social, political and spatial exiting
are described as being autotomic in nature â spaces that are ejected in order to avoid losses
or further damage to the body politic of the city in ways akin to the response of certain
animals that protect themselves from predation by shedding a limb or body part. This term
adds force and depth to assessments of the ways in which both temporary and more
sustained exits by policing, management and state servicing are designed in order to avoid
responsibility over, or engagement with, spaces that are deemed a threat in order to
maintain the integrity of the remaining, included city
This Changes Sustainable HCI
More than a decade into Sustainable HCI (SHCI) research, the community is still struggling to converge on a shared understanding of sustainability and HCIâs role in addressing it. We think this is largely a positive sign, reflective of maturity; yet, lacking a clear set of aims and metrics for sustainability continues to be the communityâs impediment to progressing, hence we seek to articulate a vision around which the community can productively coalesce. Drawing from recent SHCI publications, we identify commonalities that might form the basis of a shared understanding, and we show that this understanding closely aligns with the authoritative conception of a path to a sustainable future proffered by Naomi Klein in her book This Changes Everything. We elaborate a set of contributions that SHCI is already making that can be unified under Kleinâs narrative, and compare these categories of work to those found in past surveys of the field as evidence of substantive progress in SHCI
The Rise of the Resilient Local Authority?
The term resilience is increasingly being utilised within the study of public policy to depict how individuals, communities and organisations can adapt, cope, and âbounce backâ when faced with external shocks such as climate change, economic recession and cuts in public expenditure. In focussing on the local dimensions of the resilience debate, this article argues that the term can provide useful insights into how the challenges facing local authorities in the UK can be reformulated and reinterpreted. The article also distinguishes between resilience as ârecoveryâ and resilience as âtransformationâ, with the latter's focus on âbouncing forwardâ from external shocks seen as offering a more radical framework within which the opportunities for local innovation and creativity can be assessed and explained. While also acknowledging some of the weaknesses of the resilience debate, the dangers of conceptual âstretchingâ, and the extent of local vulnerabilities, the article highlights a range of examples where local authorities â and crucially, local communities â have enhanced their adaptive capacity, within existing powers and responsibilities. From this viewpoint, some of the barriers to the development of resilient local government are not insurmountable, and can be overcome by âdigging deepâ to draw upon existing resources and capabilities, promoting a strategic approach to risk, exhibiting greater ambition and imagination, and creating space for local communities to develop their own resilience
The Bolivian Decentralization Process and the Role of Municipal Associations
This discussion paper looks at the Bolivian decentralization model. The objective of Bolivian decentralization is to consolidate the process of popular participation, and to promote regional economic development by means of a more equitable distribution of national income and improved administration of public resources. The legal framework of Bolivian decentralization is established by two principled laws; firstly, the LPP, defines decentralization on the municipal level and represents a new dimension of governmental reform, creating an important link between the state and civil society. Second, the Law of Administrative decentralization (LAD-adm) organizes the structure of the executive power in each Department so as to underpin administrative decentralization. Overall the decentralization process in Bolivia can be seen as an important step towards restructuring the old centralized state into a more democratic one. However, as the social uprising and protests which took place in October 2003 show, the decentralization laws alone didn?t solve the economic and social problems in Bolivia
Delivering NEET policy packages? A decade of NEET policy in England
This article explores the way in which government policy shapes the lives of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). In particular it examines how the concept of NEETs is set within a specific infrastructure and discourse for managing and supporting young people. The article provides a brief history of the NEET concept and NEET initiatives, before moving on to scrutinise the policies of the Coalition Government. A key distinction is made between those policies and practices that seek to prevent young people becoming NEET from those that seek to re-engage those who are NEET. It is argued that the Coalition has drawn on a similar active labour market toolkit to the previous Labour administration, but that this has been implemented with fewer resources and less co-ordination. It concludes that there is little reason to believe that Coalition policy will be any more successful than that of the previous government, and some reason to be concerned that it will lead to young people becoming more entrenched within NEET
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