Guest Editorial - Special Issue on ‘Taxation And Microsimulation’

This special issue is one of several reporting on papers presented during the 2nd General Conference of the International Microsimulation Association (IMA): “Microsimulation: Bridging Data and Policy”, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Canada, June 8th to 10th, 2009. The papers all deal with tax issues and are selected on the basis of innovativeness and relevance for all IJM readers.

Does Agricultural Employment Benefit From Eu Support?

Studies dealing with the impact of public support on employment have given varying results, depending on the estimation process, sample and type of subsidy. In this paper, we investigate the impact of support from the Common Agricultural Policy and Objective 5 funds on agricultural employment changes in European regions. We use a spatial econometric approach to consider the fact that employment dynamics in one region also depend on the dynamics of its neighbors. Our conclusions raise interesting issues for the ongoing debate on the role of support to the agricultural sector and provide several policy perspectives for the new member countries where this sector still influences economic performance.

Regional Concentration and Specialisation in Agricultural Activities in EU-9 Regions (1950-2000)

Both traditional (von Thünen) and modern (Hayami & Ruttan, Krugman) theories on land use suggest that productions with a high value added per unit of land tend to be located near urban centres. In this article it is tested to what extent these theoretical findings are confirmed by empirical data on agricultural land use and production for the EU-9. The focus is not only on the degree of concentration and specialisation, but also on their development over time. Growth and decline of agricultural productions are here related to the degree of rurality. It is found that high value productions indeed tend to be located in urban regions. It is also found that most specialisation patterns that already existed in 1950 are even stronger in 2000

Agent-Based Spatial Competition

Equilibrium in the Hotelling model of spatial competition is guaranteed if the distribution of consumers is log concave. In the real world, nothing guarantees such a log concave distribution however, rendering the analytical model unable to provide a primer as to what one might expect from empirical applications. We develop an agent-based model of spatial competition that is capable of reproducing the results of the analytical model and also provides meaningful results for some cases where the distribution of consumers is not log concave. Using numerous simulations, on randomly drawn distributions, we derive equilibrium locations and prices and test for uniqueness. Moreover, we check whether the relationships between characteristics of the distribution (e.g. concentration, skewness) and outcomes are consistent with the analytical model. : Hotelling, agent-based modelling, spatial competitio

THE USEFULNESS OF ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of analytical tools for policy evaluation. The study focuses on a multi-method integrated toolkit, the so-called SMILE toolkit. This toolkit consist of the integration of three evaluation frameworks developed within an EU-funded consortium called Development and Comparison of Sustainability (DECOIN) and further applied within the consortium Synergies in Multi-Scale Inter-Linkages of Eco-social systems (SMILE). This toolkit is developed to provide reporting features that are required for monitoring policy-making. The sustainable development perspective is rather difficult to attempt due to its dynamism and its multi-dimensionality. Therefore, in this study, we aim to assess the usefulness of the SMILE toolkit to sustainable development issues on the basis of the critical factors of sustainable development. In other words, here, we will prove the usefulness of the toolkit to help policymakers to think about and work on sustainable developments in the future.

Does Agricultural Employment Benefit From Eu Support?

Studies dealing with the impact of public support on employment have given varying results, depending on the estimation process, sample and type of subsidy. In this paper, we investigate the impact of support from the Common Agricultural Policy and Objective 5 funds on agricultural employment changes in European regions. We use a spatial econometric approach to consider the fact that employment dynamics in one region also depend on the dynamics of its neighbors. Our conclusions raise interesting issues for the ongoing debate on the role of support to the agricultural sector and provide several policy perspectives for the new member countries where this sector still influences economic performance

CLIMATE CHANGE: FROM GLOBAL CONCERN TO REGIONAL CHALLENGE

This paper aims to map out various research and policy challenges inherent in the need to cope with climate change. Therefore, four critical domains are identified which will most likely be seriously affected by climate change. Next, both the global/general and the regional/specific dimensions of these domains are described, with a view to the identification of a proactive research and policy constellation that might be put in effect to effectively address climate issues.climate change effects, ecosystem, region, environmental policy

A Framework for Quality of Life Assessment of Urban Green Areas in Europe; An application to District Park Reudnitz Leipzig

A general concern on quality of life, with a particular view to the city has emerged in the last decade. The positive relation between quality of life and urban green is often described as significant. Therefore, public and private decision-makers want and need better information about the quantity and quality of urban green available in their city. Another important aspect to urban green is to which extent the area satisfies the needs of the users and the inhabitants of the city. Only if users are satisfied with the urban green it will increase the quality of life in the city. This paper is part of the project ?Development of Urban Green Spaces to Improve the Quality of Life in Cities and Urban Regions? (URGE). The aim of the URGE project is to improve the provision of cities with green spaces, both qualitatively and quantitatively, thus enhancing the quality of life of the urban population and contributing to the sustainable development of European cities. One major objective is to increase the available knowledge about the complex interactions between nature, economy and social systems in urban environments. To be able to increase this knowledge, several criteria concerning ecological, economic, social and planning attributes have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss an evaluation framework, which can be used to evaluate the quality of an urban green area with help of the developed criteria. This evaluation framework includes Regime Analysis, which is a discrete multi-assessment method suitable to assess projects as well as policies. It can be used to evaluate and compare an urban green area with a benchmark or with other green areas. This paper will describe the evaluation of the Leipzig ?District Park Reudnitz? with help of a benchmark which is composed of planning objectives and expert meanings.

A Framework for Quality of Life Assessment of Urban Green Areas in Europe; An application to District Park Reudnitz Leipzig

A general concern on quality of life, with a particular view to the city has emerged in the last decade. The positive relation between quality of life and urban green is often described as significant. Therefore, public and private decision-makers want and need better information about the quantity and quality of urban green available in their city. Another important aspect to urban green is to which extent the area satisfies the needs of the users and the inhabitants of the city. Only if users are satisfied with the urban green it will increase the quality of life in the city. This paper is part of the project ?Development of Urban Green Spaces to Improve the Quality of Life in Cities and Urban Regions' (URGE). The aim of the URGE project is to improve the provision of cities with green spaces, both qualitatively and quantitatively, thus enhancing the quality of life of the urban population and contributing to the sustainable development of European cities. One major objective is to increase the available knowledge about the complex interactions between nature, economy and social systems in urban environments. To be able to increase this knowledge, several criteria concerning ecological, economic, social and planning attributes have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss an evaluation framework, which can be used to evaluate the quality of an urban green area with help of the developed criteria. This evaluation framework includes Regime Analysis, which is a discrete multi-assessment method suitable to assess projects as well as policies. It can be used to evaluate and compare an urban green area with a benchmark or with other green areas. This paper will describe the evaluation of the Leipzig ?District Park Reudnitz? with help of a benchmark which is composed of planning objectives and expert meanings

THE USEFULNESS OF ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of analytical tools for policy evaluation. The study focuses on a multi-method integrated toolkit, the so-called SMILE toolkit. This toolkit consist of the integration of three evaluation frameworks developed within an EU-funded consortium called Development and Comparison of Sustainability (DECOIN) and further applied within the consortium Synergies in Multi-Scale Inter-Linkages of Eco-social systems (SMILE). This toolkit is developed to provide reporting features that are required for monitoring policy-making. The sustainable development perspective is rather difficult to attempt due to its dynamism and its multi-dimensionality. Therefore, in this study, we aim to assess the usefulness of the SMILE toolkit to sustainable development issues on the basis of the critical factors of sustainable development. In other words, here, we will prove the usefulness of the toolkit to help policymakers to think about and work on sustainable developments in the future