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Background: Previous research has highlighted links between occupation and risk of COVID-19 transmission and suggests that occupational risk is influenced by covariates including socio-economic status, and deprivation. This study examined the perspectives of local authority teams of how changes in policy and advice, as set out in the UK government report 'Living with COVID,' affected COVID-19 transmission risk, response and resilience in workplace settings in Greater Manchester, an area that was disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Methods: The project, which took place between August and November 2022, undertook a mixed methods approach to incorporate wide-ranging reflections of changes following the publication of 'Living with COVID'. Quantitative data was collected from local employers (n = 149) and employees (n = 397) using online surveys, and qualitative interview data was collected from Greater Manchester local authority teams (n = 19). Results: The research highlighted the inequitable impact of the pandemic on those already experiencing health inequalities, including people on more precarious employment contracts or those who were unable to work from home during the pandemic. The study found that the facilitators that helped local authorities to support employers to manage transmission included clear, detailed and timely national and local guidance, good communication, partnership working, funding, and timely access to data. Barriers to supporting employers included contradictory or confusing national guidance, structural inequalities, lack of funding, and delayed access to data. Interview participants reported that they were now utilising lessons learnt during the pandemic, along with the that partnerships developed, in order to tackle wider health issues and to prepare for future pandemics or health crises. Conclusion: The findings of the study, which concur with previously published research conducted as part of the PROTECT project, highlight the importance of active reflection on the lessons learned during the course of the pandemic. The study draws on PH and EH teams' perspectives of managing COVID-19 transmission, in an area that was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, in order to add to our understanding of the best ways to ensure preparedness for future pandemics or health crises at a national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroecological transition requires research and actions at the scale of local territories, in which agricultural activities interact with the environment and natural resources depending on a territory's spatial configuration. To support the agroecological transition, there is an urgent need to design and implement new spatial configurations. For this, local public authorities in France can be considered as an interesting level of governance, because of their skills in spatial planning and their interest in agriculture, to ensure the ecological transition of their territory. However, new methodological frameworks need to be developed to support the design of new spatial configurations of territories, by constructing representations of the territory that consider both agricultural and socio-environmental issues, and by involving agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders so that both can project themselves into the new spatial configurations. We developed a new methodological framework at the interface between landscape agronomy and landscape architects' approaches, and experimented with applying this framework in the Urban Community of Dunkirk (UCD), which was performing a spatial planning approach called a Landscape Plan and proposing to create an Agricultural Park. The results show that the implementation of the methodological framework enabled the construction of a spatially explicit and place-based representation including the spatial issues of farming systems. These representations enable a local authority's stakeholders to enhance their knowledge of the agricultural issues and consider changes in the spatial configuration of the Agricultural Park. In the discussion, we question the adaptation of the framework in rural territory and highlight the limitations of local authorities as the level of governance at which to address the agroecological transition at the territorial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores increasing emphasis on long-term investment in English devolution policy, as part of attempts to revitalise struggling communities through investment in infrastructure and public space. English councils seek to offset the financial difficulties they faced due to austerity cuts by establishing their own corporations, joint ventures, and investment partnerships, in order to generate needed income by creating economic flows from capital markets to public services. They have, consequently, envisaged a form of 'patient investment' in their communities, taking a long-term view of economic regeneration that aims to balance the risk of investment with the reward of local growth. The rollout of the Levelling Up agenda in February 2022 entrenches the narrative of patient investment as a conduit to regional regeneration, although it emphasises investment in infrastructure projects primarily for the purpose of attracting business and industry to deprived areas. Through a narrative policy analysis of Parliamentary debates about Levelling Up in England, I examine the turn towards long-term investment as an ethical shift in conceptions of welfare provision which prioritises private sector expansion for its potential to drive economic improvement. In this understanding, quality of life in communities is tied to growth and profit, rather than social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central government is transferring increasing discretionary powers for social security to local authorities (LAs) in England. The responsibility for the design, implementation, and oversight of a series of ad hoc, cash-limited, and discretionary schemes marks the latest evolution of LAs role in the welfare system. Yet there has been little empirical analysis of how LAs design one of the latest schemes in the localisation process – local welfare assistance. This article draws on a content analysis of 165 LA webpages and 10 interviews with LA and third sector members to explore the design of local welfare assistance schemes and the factors that play into these 'design decisions'. It is argued that LAs play a significant role in shaping the social security environment. This level of governance represents a site of analysis that can tell us about the environment that street-level bureaucrats work in and the schemes that citizens will experience. However, because of exhaustive demand and ever reducing resources LAs are unable to design in a way that promotes administrative justice. Instead, practices that limit, ration or delegating demand and resources leave claimants with inaccessible, unavailable, and discriminating local welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central government has the primary responsibility for the protection of human rights. However, several factors such as decentralisation raise questions about the role of local authorities in this area. Our paper examines this issue through an interdisciplinary approach, combining international law and political sociology. Our focus lies on the case of France, the 'homeland' of human rights: do French local elected authorities always take human rights seriously? Our research design combines qualitative and quantitative methods. After providing a background of the international legal context, this paper will present the findings on human rights local perceptions and practices of elected representatives. Human rights' perceptions of these subnational political actors strongly depend on their educational qualifications and personal commitments. The same applies to the hierarchy that they draw between fundamental freedoms, social rights, and environmental rights. By contrast, local practices in favour of human rights vary most importantly according to the local authorities' status and demographic weight, rather than their political hue. When human and financial resources are scarce, the goodwill showcased by local elected representatives is not sufficient to foster the proper implementation of human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-level Reykjavík Declaration (2023) recognises the importance of local authorities (the lowest tier of administration within a state) for the functioning of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) system. This article seeks to provide a better understanding of the human rights role of local authorities and the potential of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) as a promoter of this role. It examines how local authorities appear in the judgments of the ECtHR and assesses the extent to which they provide clear pictures of local authorities and their role in human rights issues. The analysis draws on a close reading of a sample of cases encompassing a diverse set of states and human rights issues. It shows how the ECtHR's reasoning indicates what is required of a local authority for a specific set of circumstances, but also the general attributes of local authorities that are conducive to the provision of human rights. For judgments of the ECtHR to promote local authorities as human rights actors, local authorities and their interlocutors need to be able to identify the judgments and the elements of reasoning therein that are of most relevance for their circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to situate Traveller evictions within discussions on local authorities and their role in realising human rights. It focuses on the scenario where local authorities choose to merely tolerate rather than regularise Travellers' housing situation, leading to forced evictions without culturally appropriate alternative accommodation. Through a case study in a Belgian city, three aspects will be examined. First, the local authority's position will be evaluated against the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Second, the article will analyse the involved actors' human rights engagement. Based on these findings, a third aspect will be to briefly explore three strategies to improve local authorities' human rights performance in this context: to further develop their position within human rights law and strengthen their engagement with the supranational level; to hold local authorities accountable in terms of human rights law at the domestic level; and to integrate a human rights framework into local authorities' daily decision-making processes. It will be argued that these strategies show different strengths and weaknesses, highlighting the importance of cooperation between multiple levels and actors. Taken together, they hold the potential to reinforce each other and promote processes and outcomes truly benefitting human rights implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local authorities have a strategic role in mitigating the environmental impacts of the transport sector. However, they struggle to integrate environmental issues into their decision-making processes, especially planning. In the European context of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan approach and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), this paper scrutinises three French localities to determine the current best practices and limitations for designing mobility plans and integrating environmental issues. Several limitations are identified: (1) limited expertise in defining and characterising actions and objectives, which complexifies plans' design, understanding, and monitoring; (2) a lack of a framework to conduct long-term quantitative environmental assessments and to use the results to influence decision effectively; and (3) monitoring processes are barely described in the documents, and the planning horizon where objectives are defined is not in sync with the indicators' mandatory evaluation period. This French case study thus reveals that European planning practices must be further analysed and improved to deal with the rising environmental concerns, e.g. through an operational framework to design mobility plans with effective integration of environmental issues. • Planning supports local authorities in moving towards a more sustainable mobility. • There is no robust approach to defining and characterising actions and objectives. • Robust long-term quantitative assessments are lacking to support planning. • Monitoring modalities are scarcely described in plans and SEAs. • Improving planning frameworks would help the integration of environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Previous research has highlighted links between occupation and risk of COVID-19 transmission and suggests that occupational risk is influenced by covariates including socio-economic status, and deprivation. This study examined the perspectives of local authority teams of how changes in policy and advice, as set out in the UK government report ‘Living with COVID,’ affected COVID-19 transmission risk, response and resilience in workplace settings in Greater Manchester, an area that was disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Methods The project, which took place between August and November 2022, undertook a mixed methods approach to incorporate wide-ranging reflections of changes following the publication of ‘Living with COVID’. Quantitative data was collected from local employers (n = 149) and employees (n = 397) using online surveys, and qualitative interview data was collected from Greater Manchester local authority teams (n = 19). Results The research highlighted the inequitable impact of the pandemic on those already experiencing health inequalities, including people on more precarious employment contracts or those who were unable to work from home during the pandemic. The study found that the facilitators that helped local authorities to support employers to manage transmission included clear, detailed and timely national and local guidance, good communication, partnership working, funding, and timely access to data. Barriers to supporting employers included contradictory or confusing national guidance, structural inequalities, lack of funding, and delayed access to data. Interview participants reported that they were now utilising lessons learnt during the pandemic, along with the that partnerships developed, in order to tackle wider health issues and to prepare for future pandemics or health crises. Conclusion The findings of the study, which concur with previously published research conducted as part of the PROTECT project, highlight the importance of active reflection on the lessons learned during the course of the pandemic. The study draws on PH and EH teams’ perspectives of managing COVID-19 transmission, in an area that was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, in order to add to our understanding of the best ways to ensure preparedness for future pandemics or health crises at a national level.

This article investigates the status of earthen architectural heritage (EAH) in the Gourara region of Algeria in light of contemporary developments and the sovereign decisions taken by the Algerian state, specifically the upgrading of the region to a wilaya (province) in 2019, and the accompanying direct impact on the oasis system, which is renowned for its fragile character. The research started by focusing on perplexing questions: What factors contribute to the region’s abandonment of earthen architecture? Moreover, could documentation serve as the optimal method for its preservation? In an attempt to explore and comprehend this distinctive heritage, characterized by its diversity, durability, and sustainability, this heritage has been linked to identity and local civilization dating back to prehistoric times, with evidence of their existence still present. Following a research approach and with the prospective purpose of preserving these buildings and what remains of them, the associated skills, materials, and construction techniques used in their development were investigated based on a descriptive, analytical, and documentary historical approach. Finally, the authors interviewed several qualified builders to collect knowledge of the local indigenous building practices. The research findings suggest that there is an urgency to consider a new perspective and strategies to preserve and protect EAH.

Local authorities are important actors in sustainability transformations, but smaller municipalities generally do not have the same capacities as larger ones to work strategically with climate‐related risks and long‐term sustainability issues. Our study analyses the efforts of two Swedish local authorities to build capacity for transformative climate governance, paying attention to how structural factors and multi‐level governance relations shape local capacity building. Drawing on interviews with municipal staff and the analysis of policy documents we show that both local authorities are increasingly applying experimental climate governance approaches. In Enköping, innovative governance processes support sustainability objectives and promote public–private collaboration. In Kiruna, the necessity to move the town centre has advanced innovation capacity but steals attention from other issues. We conclude that vertical and horizontal multi‐level governance relations facilitate capacity building, but in a national context where climate action is largely voluntary, more support is needed for smaller municipalities with limited resources to reach their climate goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the status of earthen architectural heritage (EAH) in the Gourara region of Algeria in light of contemporary developments and the sovereign decisions taken by the Algerian state, specifically the upgrading of the region to a wilaya (province) in 2019, and the accompanying direct impact on the oasis system, which is renowned for its fragile character. The research started by focusing on perplexing questions: What factors contribute to the region's abandonment of earthen architecture? Moreover, could documentation serve as the optimal method for its preservation? In an attempt to explore and comprehend this distinctive heritage, characterized by its diversity, durability, and sustainability, this heritage has been linked to identity and local civilization dating back to prehistoric times, with evidence of their existence still present. Following a research approach and with the prospective purpose of preserving these buildings and what remains of them, the associated skills, materials, and construction techniques used in their development were investigated based on a descriptive, analytical, and documentary historical approach. Finally, the authors interviewed several qualified builders to collect knowledge of the local indigenous building practices. The research findings suggest that there is an urgency to consider a new perspective and strategies to preserve and protect EAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: The Skidmore Review of UK Government's net zero approach highlights a lack of a national framework which establishes local government role, responsibilities and area-based governance arrangements. Although unified political leadership agreed as part of devolution deals has helped some areas to marshal resources and support, the national delivery landscape for net zero remains patchy. This study develops a toolkit to help local areas improve local arrangements. Methods: A mixed methods research approach has been used to develop the toolkit. It incorporates a set of governance models, a method for assessing the values of good governance, a governance improvement process and an illustration of how the toolkit can be employed using three cases where the two-tier public administrative structure applies. Results: Results from the research process suggest that although change is happening it lacks the coherence and scale needed, with non-urban multiple-tier public administrations getting left behind by their metropolitan, single-tier counterparts creating a credibility and performance gap between political rhetoric and local net zero delivery. This observed inertia highlights the need to change governance processes and practices if public administration is going to deliver its part of net zero effectively outside the UK Metropolitan areas. Discussion: The gap in support for local government to develop net zero governance arrangements is well recognized in both this research and publicly funded research programmes. This study provides UK local authorities with a simple, effective toolkit, that could potentially help them build strong wider societal relationships that will assist them in playing their full part in the UK reaching net zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the measures taken and tried to be taken by Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality for the protection of common areas where everyone can freely enter and use and where consumption by users cannot be prevented. Case study, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. The sample group of the study consists of senior managers authorized to make decisions in Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality. Within the scope of the research, interviews were conducted with senior managers in Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed in MAXQDA qualitative data analysis program. As a result of the study, it is understood that Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality utilizes municipal personnel to a great extent in protecting common areas. In addition, on the one hand, it is emphasized that Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality does not take clear deterrent measures for the protection of common areas, and on the other hand, the loss of importance of the rules of etiquette today compared to the past is seen as the reason for the destruction of common areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is widespread recognition of the need for new homes to feature only low or zero-carbon (LZC) heating. However, residential developers continue to choose conventional high-carbon options such as natural gas boilers over net-zero compatible alternatives. This study explores how UK local authorities (LAs) within the English planning systemcan encourage residential developers to deploy LZC heating systems within their projects. We adopt an embedded case study design and analyse 30 residential project proposals within two LA areas. Our study examines local planning policies and interactions between developers and LA officers, along with the resultant outcomes, through documentary analysis and expert interviews with local stakeholders. We find that LAs can encourage developers to adopt LZC heating technologies above and beyond what is required nationally. The conditions for this to occur are (1) a planning policy which restricts allowable heating technology options, (2) empowering LA officers to enforce policies, (3) advice and support for developers to consider alternatives, and where necessary, (4) political backing to challenge unwilling developers. Study findings highlight the important role of LAs in creating the conditions for the transition to LZC heating, which show how they can use powers within the planning system to encourage developers to make low carbon choices without the need for direct investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between public houses or pubs, and crime rates in England and Wales. The impact of pubs on local communities is generally studied and investigated within the context of third places, thus physical places that facilitate the accumulation of social capital within communities. We estimate Poisson Fixed-Effects (PFE) and a frontier Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model on a unique panel dataset for 375 local authorities in England and Wales between 2003 and 2018. Results from the analysis indicate that the presence of pubs progressively relates to a higher incidence of major crimes when transitioning from rural to urban areas, mainly due to weaker level of community cohesion and a lack of resources to support formal policing in more urbanized centres. These findings highlight the importance of place-based strategies in tackling rising incidences of crimes, indicating that recent pub closures may have contributed to severing community ties that act as a deterrent to crime in certain areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One Kensington Gardens is a large nine-storey luxury apartment building on High Street Kensington. Rarely are there any lights on. The building exemplifies the many buy-to-leave homes in Kensington and Chelsea, the richest local authority in the UK. Looking at these homes from the perspective of residents and councillors who live and work in the borough, I explore how buy-to-leave housing hollows out community, increases the cost of living, sanitises public space, and results in exclusionary and physical displacement. I also identify what role the local authority has in the process of financialising housing in the borough, including how councillors work with developers to make decisions that do not meet the needs of the residents they have been elected to serve. By concentrating on the voice of residents, I show how buy-to-leave homes reinforces the super-gentrification of the borough and becomes another form of gentrification that contributes to displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Woodhead Report from 1955 is one of the education reports that helped to improve Sarawak’s educational system. The investigation that led to this report was carried out by Woodhead towards the conclusion of 1954. The results of this study demonstrate that Sarawak’s efforts to strengthen its educational system have flaws. This article examines Woodhead’s report on developing education in Sarawak. The effectiveness of the report in advancing the education of the Sarawak’s people was also highlighted. Primary and secondary sources for this study were obtained through the library method. The main primary source to be examined is the Woodhead Report. Other sources are also used, such as the Sarawak Gazette, annual reports from Sarawak, and reports from the education department. Based on the analysis of the Woodhead report, the report touched on several aspects such as school curriculum, financial allocation, education infrastructure and teacher personnel. The study’s conclusions demonstrate that this research made some recommendations for enhancing education in Sarawak. Through the Department of Education, Woodhead contended, the federal government must be in charge of creating and upholding standards for all forms of education. The responsibility for school management will, however, fall to the school management organisation. Additionally, Woodhead recognised the necessity of a balanced budget allocation to make sure that education development could be carried out effectively. The necessity for capital grants for the advancement of education in Sarawak is also included in the plan, along with recurrent expenditure grants for school administration. For the funding, any Sarawakian school may apply. Grants are used to improve educational possibilities in rural schools serving the Bumiputera ethnic community. The British Government seriously considered the recommendations made to enhance education in Sarawak through the Woodhead Report. Even the Sarawak community acquired education that improved their life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Public Economy & Public Financial Management (JPEPFM) is the property of Journal of Public Economy & Public Financial Management (JPEPFM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rise of ‘new municipalism’ – imaginative and renascent projects of local organization and government – has been occasioned by resourceful efforts on the part of local states and civil societies, responding to the intensified pressures of austerity, the global pandemic and a crisis of public value. Yet, despite the expansion internationally of an array of municipal initiatives, there appears (as yet) no significant role for culture and the cultural industries, and certainly this is the case in the UK. This review article suggests some possible reasons why UK municipalism might lack something of a cultural contribution or presence, before outlining the potential benefits that could be gained through development of both a “pragmatic” and “managed” – as well as more “radical” – integration of arts and culture into new municipal projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency in buildings has a central role to play in reaching the climate neutrality goal set by the European Green Deal. With detailed knowledge of their building stock and the profile of their occupants, regional and local authorities can forge an important link between financiers, industry professionals and homeowners to ensure the successful deployment of financial schemes that support the uptake of energy efficiency upgrades. This paper provides a first assessment of the role of regional and local authorities by reviewing relevant initiatives and programmes on energy efficiency. Based on a questionnaire completed for more than 150 schemes, it explores how European municipalities and regions stimulate energy upgrades in residential, commercial and public buildings through public financial support. It is found that 60% of the examined schemes are offered in the form of grants and subsidies, and 45% of them targeted residential upgrades. The use of EU cohesion policy funds in supporting regional schemes, and promotion of energy efficiency investments at local level through the European Covenant of Mayors initiative are also explored. In spite of possible resource limitations at this level of governance, regional and local authorities are in a good position to utilise European structural or research funds to develop financial schemes, as standalone programmes or blended with national ones, thus providing additional support and funds for deep renovations. The results suggest that energy efficiency in buildings has become an important part of local and regional strategies in several European countries, but could be further enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local elected officials are essential actors in public administration, but the office of public dignity comes with several duties and responsibilities that must be placed at the top of the decision-makers agenda in order to provide the community with good administration. Knowing them requires understanding the entire public administration system at the local level, the principles that govern it, the relations with other public authorities and citizens, as well as the powers exercised. The legal norms provide that mayors and local councilors function as authorities of the local public administration and resolve public affairs in communes, cities, and municipalities, while the County Council is constituted at the county level, having the role of coordinating the activity of the administrative-territorial unit within the county area. The legislation in the field provides unsatisfactory requirements for a candidate to obtain the status of local elected official and general regulations regarding the conditions for exercising the acquired mandates. The local elected official must be aware of the importance of the position held, and the following must emerge from the mandate: responsibility, efficient and effective representation, forward-looking social vision, and prioritization of the common good. Any elective community wants representatives at the level of public authority, connoisseurs and activists of collective needs, who faithfully serve the public interest at the expense of their own interest. However, it is well known that in exercising their powers, public authorities usually have a certain freedom of decision, a possibility of appreciation or, in other words, what is called discretionary power. Precisely for this reason, the numerical limitation of the mandates of local elected officials can lead to a strengthening of local administrative institutions, increasing their credibility and, above all, their efficiency. By limiting mandates, the aim is also to depoliticize the institutions subordinated to town halls and county councils. But as every cause has a resulting effect, and the effect in turn becomes the cause of another effect, so there is an essential relation between responsibility and liability. Thus, depending on the committed deed, the local elected officials are liable, as the case may be, administratively, civilly, or criminally, according to the law. These actors who hold key positions in local public administration and provide public services at the level of administrative-territorial units must know very well the commitment taken when taking the oath that gives legitimacy to the mandate and not be blinded by the prerogatives of public power. related to the function of public dignity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of The L N Gumilyov Eurasian National University Political Science Regional Studies Oriental Studies Turkology Series is the property of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Estudios de la Administración Local y Autonómica is the property of Instituto Nacional de Administracion Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article examines the process of festivalization of the contemporary city, which leads not only to a reconstruction of the lifestyle, but also to a change of basic characteristics of the festivals themselves - both their own nature and the understanding of them. In the postmodern city, due to significant structural changes in its economy, services are becoming a leading industry. This directs the efforts of local authorities and businesses towards the development of tourism and the stimulation of leisure industries. The phenomenon of „new urban festivals“, understood as part of the creative economy, is emerging. „Urban marketing“ turns the city into an event center where festivals are a daily occurrence. Gradually, not only leisure, which has been transformed into a kind of „festival consumption“, but also the lifestyle, which is captive to consumer culture, commercialization and endless events, are becoming festivalized. The understanding of a festival is also being rethought, as the latter loses the „exclusivity“ and festivity attributed to it as essential characteristics: it becomes an everyday and mass event, an „endless series of events“. Local festivals, as expressions of the activity of the local community, of its identity and solidarity between local people, become an arena of business initiatives and interests. Thus, they lose their socially significant role both in the lifestyle of individuals and for the community. Often, in order to justify or disguise the business orientation of local festivals, emphasis is placed on their role in the development of local culture, on their supposed educational functions or charitable activities. The text examines the festivalization of Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. The city has all the features to become a center of festival industries: a rich history since ancient times, preserved archaeological monuments, important cultural sites from the Renaissance, museums, galleries, traditions in fine arts, music, theater, etc. In 2019, the city was the European Capital of Culture and since then it has become a center of festivalization and a typical example of the development of this process in Bulgarian society. In the article are analyzed some of the results of an empirical sociological survey carried out with qualitative methods within the project „Local festivals: a resource of local communities to deal with crises“ financed by the Scientific Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science (KP-06-H45/5 of 30.11.2020). It is about indepth interviews with festival organizers, representatives of local government, local business and NGOs conducted in the period June-October 2021 and during the summer of 2023, as well as participated observations of festivals. A number of documents were also studied, such as cultural programs of the municipality, programs of local festivals, interviews of festival organizers and local administrators in the media, and other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homogeneous national policies can generate heterogeneous effects on the territory. This paper aims to verify the impact of the entry of single Italian municipalities into an inter‐municipal association on the unitary costs of the social services supplied to the local communities. Panel cost stochastic frontier model in the presence of endogeneity has been introduced based on two pillars: a counterfactual setting to verify the aggregation effects concerning a set of similar municipalities and the use of a cost efficiency estimation methodology which considers the endogeneity of output with respect to cost. The results of our analysis show that the effects of adopting associated forms of service delivery can be very multifaceted and diversified according to the typology and the degree of implementation of the Municipal Union itself. The analysis sheds light on the effects of municipalities' organisational choices, addressing the consolidation of small municipalities not in binary terms but also—and above all—suggesting that it is the type of union that impacts the possibility of convergence towards greater cost efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the status quo and quo vadis of performance management strategies in local government systems in Zimbabwe. Local government systems represent central government at the local level. They are better positioned to serve people in their respective localities, and they are at the forefront of service delivery. However, they exist in an environment replete with challenges ranging from economic and political conflicts, pandemics, environmental governance issues, rising poverty levels, climate change-induced droughts, floods, diseases, and massive technological advancements, among others. Nations globally have repurposed local authorities to attain superior performance through the adoption of a performance management system in order to address these challenges. Local government in Zimbabwe embraced performance management in the late 1990s and took the form of annual performance appraisals. A results-based management system was adopted by local authorities and all government agencies in 2005. The introduction of a performance management regime, however, did not translate into superior local government performance. This study examined the status quo and quo vadis of performance management strategies in local government systems in Zimbabwe. It adopted a mixed-method methodology and, more succinctly, an explanatory sequential mixed-method methodology. In terms of research philosophy, the study was underpinned by pragmatism, and the study was confined to local government systems in Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. The study found evidence of a performance management system largely driven by the central government. Resource constraints hampered the implementation of performance management strategies, inadequate human capacity, and the prevailing socio-economic and political environment. The future of performance management is tied to the economic and political pendulum of the nation. The study recommended that local government systems be granted more autonomy and capacity in line with the decentralisation mantra. A holistic human capital approach encompassing performance management should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how traffic safety implementation at local level in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is characterised. By investigating interactions between traffic safety and other sustainability goals (synergies), as well as identifying contradictions between goals and conflicting interests (challenges), the study aims to pinpoint the main enablers for implementing traffic safety as part of sustainability. The emphasis lies on local authorities in Sweden representing a mature traffic safety context when viewed globally. To delve into this issue, interviews were conducted with 37 municipal employees from the city of Gothenburg, encompassing diverse roles that exemplify the significant influence Swedish local authorities wield in shaping traffic safety: as road manager and planner, in maintenance and construction phases, as employer and purchaser, and as influencer of behaviour. The study reveals several synergies between traffic safety and other sustainability goals, as well as contradictions between goals and conflicting interests posing challenges to traffic safety implementation. Main enablers for implementation of traffic safety as part of sustainability at the local level concern, for example, an integrated approach on strategic level where traffic safety could be handled as either a prerequisite (e.g. for active mobility) or a framework condition (e.g. for green cars). The necessity to bridge gaps between strategic and operational levels is also emphasised. Contradicting goals and interests are inevitable and must be managed. The study identifies the traffic strategy and strategic analyses, in the European context referred to as Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning, as a platform for traffic safety implementation as part of sustainability. Such platform highlights implementation areas in common for different target areas. The significance of integrating traffic safety in relevant activities and processes, alongside fostering horizontal collaborations across target areas, becomes apparent when striving to embed traffic safety in a wider sustainability context. While Swedish municipalities may not always recognize traffic safety as part of the sustainability agenda, existing platforms within municipalities serve as a foundation for adopting an integrated approach to traffic safety implementation. However, there is a need for a central coordinating function to ensure robust leadership in integrating traffic safety as a vital component of sustainability.

This article analyses the extent to which the applicable legal and policy frameworks in Zimbabwe enable cities to use spatial planning to pursue the vision encapsulated in SDG 11. This article argues that although the existing legal framework makes adequate provision for features that can hypothetically guide cities to use spatial planning to pursue the vision envisaged in SDG 11, their potential is constrained by diverse factors such as lack of effective public participation in local governance, the inability of local authorities to generate sufficient revenue, systemic corruption in spatial planning processes, and under-utilisation of a flexible and accommodating legal framework. The research is based on an integrated analysis of primary and secondary sources of law.

Abstract Background The onset of disability in bathing is particularly important for older adults as it can be rapidly followed by disability in other daily activities; this may represent a judicious time point for intervention in order to improve health, well-being and associated quality of life. An important environmental and preventative intervention is housing adaptation, but there are often lengthy waiting times for statutory provision. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we aim to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bathing adaptations compared to no adaptations and to explore the factors associated with routine and expedited implementation of bathing adaptations. Methods BATH-OUT-2 is a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group RCT. Adults aged 60 and over who are referred to their local authority for an accessible level access shower will be randomised, using pairwise randomisation, 1:1, to receive either an expedited provision of an accessible shower via the local authority or a usual care control waiting list. Participants will be followed up for a maximum of 12 months and will receive up to four follow-ups in this duration. The primary outcome will be the participant’s physical well-being, assessed by the Physical Component Summary score of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), 4 weeks after the intervention group receives the accessible shower. The secondary outcomes include the Mental Component Summary score of the SF-36, self-reported falls, health and social care resource use, health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), social care-related quality of life (Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT)), fear of falling (Short Falls Efficacy Scale), independence in bathing (Barthel Index bathing question), independence in daily activities (Barthel Index) and perceived difficulty in bathing (0–100 scale). A mixed-methods process evaluation will comprise interviews with stakeholders and a survey of local authorities with social care responsibilities in England. Discussion The BATH-OUT-2 trial is designed so that the findings will inform future decisions regarding the provision of bathing adaptations for older adults. This trial has the potential to highlight, and then reduce, health inequalities associated with waiting times for bathing adaptations and to influence policies for older adults. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN48563324. Prospectively registered on 09/04/2021.

Urban agriculture encompasses all agricultural activities within or near urban areas. Due to its complex interactions within environmental, social, and economic contexts, urban agriculture faces various challenges. Therefore, various stakeholders are involved in the process of developing urban agriculture. This study aims to determine the place and importance of urban agriculture in the eyes of stakeholders in Iğdır City and its surrounding areas. This will provide an understanding of what can be done in the region within the scope of urban agriculture. Semi-structured interview forms were used in the study. Five questions were asked to the stakeholders, and descriptive analysis, one of the qualitative data analysis methods, was used to analyze the data. According to the findings, it was concluded that Iğdır city holds significant potential in terms of urban agricultural activities. Based on the stakeholder opinions, opportunities for urban agriculture in Iğdır City were discussed.

Agroecological transition requires research and actions at the scale of local territories, in which agricultural activities interact with the environment and natural resources depending on a territory’s spatial configuration. To support the agroecological transition, there is an urgent need to design and implement new spatial configurations. For this, local public authorities in France can be considered as an interesting level of governance, because of their skills in spatial planning and their interest in agriculture, to ensure the ecological transition of their territory. However, new methodological frameworks need to be developed to support the design of new spatial configurations of territories, by constructing representations of the territory that consider both agricultural and socio-environmental issues, and by involving agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders so that both can project themselves into the new spatial configurations. We developed a new methodological framework at the interface between landscape agronomy and landscape architects’ approaches, and experimented with applying this framework in the Urban Community of Dunkirk (UCD), which was performing a spatial planning approach called a Landscape Plan and proposing to create an Agricultural Park. The results show that the implementation of the methodological framework enabled the construction of a spatially explicit and place-based representation including the spatial issues of farming systems. These representations enable a local authority’s stakeholders to enhance their knowledge of the agricultural issues and consider changes in the spatial configuration of the Agricultural Park. In the discussion, we question the adaptation of the framework in rural territory and highlight the limitations of local authorities as the level of governance at which to address the agroecological transition at the territorial scale.

Background: The onset of disability in bathing is particularly important for older adults as it can be rapidly followed by disability in other daily activities; this may represent a judicious time point for intervention in order to improve health, well-being and associated quality of life. An important environmental and preventative intervention is housing adaptation, but there are often lengthy waiting times for statutory provision. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we aim to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bathing adaptations compared to no adaptations and to explore the factors associated with routine and expedited implementation of bathing adaptations. Methods: BATH-OUT-2 is a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group RCT. Adults aged 60 and over who are referred to their local authority for an accessible level access shower will be randomised, using pairwise randomisation, 1:1, to receive either an expedited provision of an accessible shower via the local authority or a usual care control waiting list. Participants will be followed up for a maximum of 12 months and will receive up to four follow-ups in this duration. The primary outcome will be the participant's physical well-being, assessed by the Physical Component Summary score of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), 4 weeks after the intervention group receives the accessible shower. The secondary outcomes include the Mental Component Summary score of the SF-36, self-reported falls, health and social care resource use, health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), social care-related quality of life (Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT)), fear of falling (Short Falls Efficacy Scale), independence in bathing (Barthel Index bathing question), independence in daily activities (Barthel Index) and perceived difficulty in bathing (0–100 scale). A mixed-methods process evaluation will comprise interviews with stakeholders and a survey of local authorities with social care responsibilities in England. Discussion: The BATH-OUT-2 trial is designed so that the findings will inform future decisions regarding the provision of bathing adaptations for older adults. This trial has the potential to highlight, and then reduce, health inequalities associated with waiting times for bathing adaptations and to influence policies for older adults. Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN48563324. Prospectively registered on 09/04/2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of tourism activities faces many challenges. Furthermore, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their overall slow progress, tourism-related goals and targets are underachieved. To address these challenges, this study has recognized sporting events as an opportunity to enhance the socio-economic activities in tourism destinations during off-season periods. More specifically, the aim of this study is to explore the dynamics of off-season destination resilience through small-scale running events, focusing on three key aspects: the strategies employed by organizers, the synergy created within the community, and the sustainable outcomes. Drawing on insights from qualitative interviews with twenty-five running event organizers across Greece, supported by the Delphi method to confirm and validate the results, their perceptions of the economic and socio-cultural dimensions are explored. This study identifies a number of strategies that enrich running events and can contribute to the sustainability of off-peak destinations. Additionally, the concept of synergy is identified and explored, emphasizing the importance of local engagement, participant encouragement, and community collaborations. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of how these factors can influence the sustainability of off-peak destinations. To further validate and extend these findings, the second part of this study performs a quantitative analysis using PLS-SEM, involving eighty local authorities in Greece. The results highlight the mediating role of small-scale event enrichment strategies on the relationship between synergy and destination sustainability. This multifaceted approach indicates the dynamics of sustainable tourism, by examining the case of small-scale running events in the off-peak season. The impact of this balanced approach on the broader achievement of relevant SDGs is also supported. The implications of this research, in terms of its strategic and stakeholder orientation for tourism professionals and government agencies, are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film censorship in the UK is predicated on a two-tier system whereby the British Board of Film Classification (formerly British Board of Film Censorship Censorship) (BBFC) recommends a classification for a film and this classification is then implemented by local authorities. In cases where local authorities disagree with a BBFC decision they can change the classification or ban the film entirely. Conversely, they can also screen a film which has no BBFC certificate. This local decision-making is permitted under the powers granted to local authorities to oversee cinema exhibition and licensing. Using The Snake Pit, Rock around the Clock and Ulysses, and offering a broad historical and geographic sweep, this article explores local council archives and local press reporting to map local censorship across the UK, drawing attention to inconsistencies in different areas and how councils justified the decisions they took on specific films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the role of local self-government bodies and local state administrations in the development of cross-border cooperation in the field of health care. It was determined that currently, the development of cross-border cooperation in the field of health care is particularly important for Ukraine with the member states of the European Union, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania in the conditions of existing challenges, external threats, and taking into account the European vector of Ukraine’s development. It is necessary to overcome several legal and administrative obstacles that still exist today for the development of systemic cross-border cooperation in the field of health care. A significant role in the development of efficient and systematic cross-border cooperation in the field of health care belongs to local self-government bodies and local state administrations together with other participants of such cooperation aiming to provide citizens of Ukraine equal rights to access to quality medical care with citizens of the European Union. Such cooperation can develop through available Interreg programs 2021-2027, namely “Poland - Ukraine”, “Ukraine-Hungary-Slovakia-Romania”, and “Ukraine-Romania”. It has been established that local self-government bodies and local state administrations can ensure the development of cross-border cooperation in the field of health care through the respective powers granted to them. They can implement cross-border cooperation in the field of health care with relevant subjects and/or participants of such cooperation of neighboring states through the development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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