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We examine the contribution of institutional reforms to economic growth. To this end, we distinguish between several classes of institutional reform in the approach to economic liberalisation. Based on a sample of 24 current and former transition economies for the period 1980–2016, we estimate the counterfactual scenarios related to each distinctive institutional approach to the economic liberalisation by making use of the synthetic control method. Our evidence uncovers notable contrasts in the long‐term effectiveness of designated policy approaches in recovering from the transitional recession. A variety of synthetic control estimates suggests that a sustained big bang approach (rapid reforms) appears to be the most effective approach, while an abortive and gradualist approach tends to produce a permanent breakdown of the growth trajectories relative to the estimated counterfactuals. The point estimates survive an extensive battery of placebo tests. By employing the same methodological tool kit, future research could examine the impact of transition reforms on other socio‐economic variables, such as the poverty rates, income inequalities, health and environmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the historic tasks of removing foreign domination and landlord-capitalist rule in the colonies are one task and have to be carried out by the proletariat, in alliance with the peasant masses. For its part, dependent on imperialism, the landlord-bourgeoisie are fearful of a shake-up of property relations in any form. The article first explains the intensification of uneven and combined development in the final, monopoly stage of capitalism before turning to China's struggles for national independence. It is contended that the People's Republic of China is a transitional economy where the law of primitive socialist accumulation and the law of value are in competition. This is the driver of its social formation, a "unity of opposites" between capitalist and non-capitalist elements. Capitalism in China remains under the control of the Communist Party of China and its social-economic base. The flourishing of private enterprises leads to inequality and capitalist accumulation but has been restrained by state policies and the law of primitive socialist accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the "Competitive Rent-Seeking Model" that accounts for how reform policies paved the way for sustainable economic growth in "authoritarian transition economies" despite widespread corruption. Competitive rent-seeking refers to the process whereby the entry barrier to rent-generating economic activities, once monopolized by a small number of vested interests, has been lowered inviting more potential rent-seekers into the system. This was accomplished by enacting decentralizing and market-friendly reform policies that in turn exacerbated corruption but boosted production efficiency leading to improved social welfare. The model is exemplified by the Chinese and Vietnamese experiences during the 1980s. Furthermore, this article demonstrates that the model is applicable to the North Korean economy under Kim Jong Un's economic reform policy of the "Socialist System of Responsible Business Operation in Economic Management" initiated in 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is dedicated to Dragoslav Avramović, a unique personality who played a key role in a historically important period for Federal Republic (FR) of Yugoslavia. After the successful implementation of his macroeconomic stabilization program, Avramović wanted to implement other important economic reforms. In November 1995, he prepared the "Program II" that contained fifteen measures, one of which was the "Democratization of property relations". Avramović formed a Working Group in April 1996 that was to prepare a privatization program for FR Yugoslavia. The program was soon ready, proposing obligatory, comprehensive and fast privatization of all enterprises in FR Yugoslavia, using a combination of different methods. However, Avramović's privatization program was not even officially discussed, since in mid-May 1995 he had to leave his position of Governor of the National Bank. The paper also points to the profound ideological differences among intellectuals at that time and to the wider consequences of Avramović's departure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The integration of transitional economies into the global economic system has led to unprecedented economic growth and prosperity in developing countries. In the meantime, moral degradation, inequities of wealth, corruption, and environmental deterioration are endemic of those countries. The present study aims to examine the role of market ethic in economic reform and morality transformation in transitional economies. Design/Methdology/Approach: The economic reform undertaken in the largest transitional economy in the world is analyzed to reveal the critical role of market ethic in economic transition, and the importance of embracing ethics of justice in morality transformation. Findings: The results show that market ethic is critical to the success of economic reform and that morality of justice is essential for regulating market force and providing the ethical foundation of the market. The findings of this study should enhance our understanding of the role of market ethic in economic reform and the importance of justice in transforming morality. Practical Implications: This study should provide important guidance and invaluable insights for business managers as well as policy makers in emerging economies. Originality value: The findings demonstrate that adopting a market economic system inevitably leads to changes in beliefs, values and ethical norms. Embracing ethics of justice is key to successful morality transformation in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of institutions in regional industrial dynamics has been a long‐lasting issue in economic geography and regional studies. This paper seeks to examine this issue in the context of transitional economies, where the market economy is embryonic, by using China as an example. Specifically, we examine how regional industrial dynamics have been shaped by China's peculiar institutional context in general and by its new round of economic reform in particular. One key part of the new reform is the establishment of administrative approval centers (AACs) to streamline official procedures that regulate business start‐ups and existing business. Empirical results show that the establishment of AACs has boosted new industry creations. However, in the first 3 years after the establishment of AACs, the effect of AACs on new industry creation is not evident and becomes significant afterwards. Furthermore, the effect varies across regions and industries. It is especially evident in less marketized cities. Labor‐intensive industries benefit more from the establishment of AACs than do capital‐intensive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent do domestic elites allow the intervention of international institutions to influence domestic economic reform? This question cannot be answered without considering the role of national elites in accepting international institutions as a means to advance their own interests. This article provides a critique of the neoliberal reform process in transition economies and examines how these policies found support among the people of North Macedonia. This is done by exploring the construct of neoliberal discourse during North Macedonia's reform process through an analysis of policy documents, interviews with key actors and the country's privatisation policy. The findings confirm that mass support for reform is influenced by the attitudes of the elite. The main implication for policymakers is, above all, for client-countries and their policy-makers to be more critical of the agenda set by foreign experts for small economies. The article also highlights the need for IMF experts to recognise in full the nuances in targeted contexts and to ensure that policy programmes are relevant by being contextspecific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iraq economy had witnessed many changes and transitions which effected upon its economic performance. After 2003, the Iraqi economy entered into new stage represented by shifting from closed to a free market. However, during fifteen years this experience did not succeed, and the economy yet suffers structural imbalance and unclear role of state in the economic activities. That led to failed state which was not able to face challenges imposed by development based on the oil industry. Concurrently, the oil rental had negative effect on implementation of economic policies which aimed to achieve welfare economy. Finally, the resource seems to create strategical interest by economic reform through exit from resource cursing and create solution of problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the experience of post-communist transformation. It focuses on preconditions and causes of differences in the success of this process in different countries. The paper, in contrast to the traditional basic division of transformation strategies into gradualist and radical, brings a new perspective. Defining a third, spontaneous transformation trajectory, characteristic of countries unsuccessful in transformation. The paper also points to examples of the transition between individual transformation trajectories and strategies (especially on the example of Slovakia and Georgia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Administration & Economics (57942221) is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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 Journal of Baghdad College of Economic Sciences University is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)

This article lays out several hypotheses to establish a specific link between structural economic reforms and the competitive environment of firms. We test our hypotheses on data from the steel industry in three post-reform economies. We find that economic reforms tend to have a positive effect on environmental munificence, but they also produce short-term instability in the environment. We elaborate on the implications of our results for managers, policymakers, and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the special case of changes triggered by profound economic reforms in emerging economies, we suggest a new perspective from which to explore the relationship between environmental and organizational change. This research setting is used to explore and propose enhancements to existing theory that take into account how organizations respond to extreme forms of change. We propose a typology of environmental change that helps to interpret our findings and position our study vis-à-vis existing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that an important reason why Russia's performance and China's performance under capitalism have differed dramatically is that different arrangements governing the determination of prices and work practices evolved during the transition process. In Russia, the arrangement, which conferred monopoly rights to industry groups leftover from socialism, prevented the adoption of better technology. In China, the arrangement that evolved contained no such monopoly elements. The key factor in determining which arrangement evolved was the strength of the central government. We put forth a model that implements these ideas and provide evidence in support of this theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insights from the resource dependence approach, dynamic fit, and strategic choice theories are used to explore the strategies adopted by Chinese enterprises, their settings, and the relationship between strategy, environment, and performance. Results from 959 firms indicate that respondents operating under 'more marketized' institutional settings tend to locate themselves in more munificent environments and place greater emphasis on meeting customer needs. Firms in China do not trade off one strategic direction against another, and certain strategy/environment coalignments have significant implications for performance. In particular, performance is better in more marketized and munificent environments and amongst firms who adopt an 'aggressive' strategic posture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economies of North Macedonia and Albania have for a long time been in transition. This entire period for both countries has been characterized with an economic and political instability with more obstacles during implementation of domestic reforms and the fulfillment of the required conditions in the EU integration path. The business climate is an important indicator for accelerate economic growth and development for each country. A good business climate enables increase of the domestic investments and attraction of foreign investors. Doing Business is an international project of the World Bank which describes the business environment in various countries, through objective indicators for a business regulations and their enforcement across 190 economies and selected cities at the sub national and regional level. According to the Doing Business report, the economy of North Macedonia is ranked higher compared to Albania (is ranked on 17thpositions versus 82th position of Albania, but in a worse position in relation to FDI attraction. The objective of this research is the impact of new challenges of the Ease of Doing Business in attracting FDI in the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania. Our assumption in this research is whether Ease of Doing Business has a positive impact on attraction of FDI. Using STATA16 software we will try to measure the trend and relationship between FDI inflow and Doing Business indicators. The findings of the research will assist international and domestic managers and companies to know the importance of Ease of Doing Business when investing in North Macedonia and Albania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The cost minimization for a country to transit from planned economy to market economy is dependent upon the optimal combination of reform speed and specific reform strategy. • There are 4 optimal transitional models which intertwine the reform speed and reform strategies: (1) Incremental reform in radical speed. (2) Incremental reform in gradualist speed. (3). Structural reform in radial speed. (4) Structural reform in gradualist speed. • Several factors affecting the optimal combination of reform speed and specific reform strategy include spillover effect across through different sectors in an economy; initial economic governance structure and the ideas of ruling leaders in an economy. • The dichotomy in the current economics of transitional literature with respect to reform speed and reform strategy fails to capture the essence of the transitional process of a transitional economy. The dichotomy in the economics of transition literature with regard to the reform speed (Gradualist vs Radical Approach) and reform strategy (incremental reform vs structural reform) fails to capture the essence of the transitional process of a transitional economy that was ever under the control of planned economic system. In this paper, we construct a system dynamics model to provide a unified theoretical framework to illustrate that reform speed and reform strategy are inherently intertwined. We propose 4 optimal reforming combinations between reform speed and reform strategy to track the transitional trajectories of different transitional economies since 1980s. These 4 optimal reforming combinations are: (1) Incremental reform in radical speed. (2) Incremental reform in gradualist speed. (3) Structural reform in radical speed. (4) Structural reform in gradualist speed. In this paper, we demonstrate that a transitional economy would adopt one of the aforementioned 4 optimal reforming combination if and only if it minimizes the reforming cost incurred during the shock period of radical reform as well as the dual track period of gradualist reforms. Several factors in our model affecting these 4 optimal reforming combinations are also discussed. These factors include the spillover effect (both vertical and horizontal) of a newly established reforming promotion sector on other old sectors in a transitional economy, the endogenous reform damping coefficient determined by one transitional economy's initial conditions and the reform damping coefficient determined by the dual track system during the gradualist reform process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is organized as follows. Section I describes the background of the study by identifying the main components of the economic reform and some features of the Israeli stock market. These are pertinent to the understanding of the context of the study. In Section II, we turn to the main issues addressed by this paper. These issues provide the infrastructure for the formation of specific hypotheses. Section III outlines the empirical design and is followed by a description of the sample data in Section IV. In Section V we report the tests performed and their results, and Section VI is devoted to concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper underscores the importance of hybrid forms in the current market transitions in state socialism through an examination of the emergence of marketized firms and cadre-entrepreneurs in China. The paper develops a new-institutionalist analysis of the organizational dynamics that propel market transition in reforming state socialism. Under conditions of partial reform, marketized firms enjoy a transaction cost advantage over alternative governance structures. Changes in the institutional environment stemming from the spread of markets and the changing structure of property rights, however, increasingly favor private firms. Nonetheless, a mixed economy characterized by a diversity of organizational forms and a plurality of property rights will be a persistent feature of transitions from state socialism. Analysis of the interaction between government, enterprise, and market forces illustrates how the new-institutionalist perspective is applied to a dynamic model of market transition in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the current markets and hierarchies framework of transaction-cost economics provides too limited a set of transactional options to account adequately for many of the organizational problems encountered in developing economies. Focusing on the codification and diffusion of information, it provides a set of concepts designed to extend the existing framework. Applying these concepts to an analysis of the economic reforms in the People's Republic of China since 1978, the paper identifies a form of bureaucratic failure that lies beyond the markets-hierarchies typology and that high-lights the important role played by culture and level of development in shaping transactional preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient banks are essential for capitalist economies, yet bank failures result in costly externalities, lending to a potential conflict between the risk choices of private agents that own banks and socially optimal choices. This conflict is particularly severe in transition economies. Evidence suggests that these economies have banking systems that are both prone to failure and inefficiently small; established banks suffer from an over-hang of bad loans, and implicit subsidies often favor continued lending to inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs). If a regulator seeks to impose higher capital standards to reduce the odds of bank failure, privately held banks may instead exit the industry, shrinking a system that is already inefficiently small. If loans to SOEs are subsidized so as to mitigate repercussions from their failure to workers and to banks, established banks may prefer such loans over riskier unsubsidized loans to entrepreneurial firms. Encouraging entry into banking may mitigate this problem, but the new banks will be quite risky and prone to failure. The upshot is that, in transition economies, achieving an efficient banking system is likely to require significant instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments are presented on the article "Banking in Transition Economies: Does Efficiency Require Instability?," by Gary Gorton and Andrew Winton, published in the August 1998 issue of the "Journal of Money, Credit and Banking." It is noted that Winton and Gorton's paper highlights the linkages between enterprise restructuring and financial reform in transition economies. The author criticizes the article for not discussing different reform strategies used by countries, which would allow the findings of the model to be compared to the outcomes of particular countries. The assumption that private banks have inherited claims on state enterprises is questioned.

Russia's business leaders and employees find themselves in a new environment of competition, efficiency, and innovation, without the training and skills to adjust to these new realities. A field study investigated the business education needs in Russia. Four focus group sessions were conducted and interviews were held with 68 individuals. Distinct attitudes held by Russians toward business learning were national pride, anger with the seeming disrespect of outsiders for indigenous accomplishments, and a fear of the unknown, coupled with suspicion toward new practices. There was concern about the lack of relevance of the education offered, and about the linkage between knowledge, learning, and actual change, and the longevity of such change. A rank order of business education priorities identified issues requiring learning and areas in need of behavioral change. Marketing, strategic planning, international business, and business law were the four key learning issues while problem solving, decision making, customer orientation, team building and communications abilities were rated highest in terms of the need for behavioral change. Overall, many similarities between Russian and Western managers were found. However, Russian managers approach problems in a different fashion, need to be taught in different ways, and have different expectations of learning content. In order to be accepted and useful, business education efforts must consider the specifics of the Russian situation and focus both on the teaching of knowledge and skills as well as on the change of attitudes and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's analysis of the impact and success of codetermination and industrial adjustment within the German steel industry while comparing this industry with rivalling countries. The three aspects of this particular industry that the author praises include its ability to produce better results than comparable markets, adjustment has been noticeably more concensual, and codetermination has allowed for economic adaptation. The author suggests that it is through the cohesion of technically effective and politically smooth adjustment that the German steel industry has been successful.

The author presents an argument that explores the issue of the United States transforming from a manufacturing economy into a service economy. If the United States should make this transition, the article explains that the economy would suffer, as manufacturing is an important part of a country's economic development. The author claims that in order for the United States to remain competitive in the global economy, it must keep the labor force strong by handling manufacturing jobs domestically and limiting the amount of automated production that is invested in.

In 1979, China introduced a policy of "economic readjustment." Although China remains a planned economy, the role of marketing in the Chinese economy has changed dramatically. While the structure of the planning process remains quite similar to that in place before 1979, economic readjustment has resulted in freer markets, increased interaction with foreign firms, and a new interest in all aspects of marketing. However, China's efforts to develop modern marketing practices are creating additional problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant changes are introduced in Czech and Russian Enterprise management as part of the economic reforms, particularly in enterprise goals and decentralization of managerial authority. This paper reviews major aspects of this new managerialism and hints that there may be a "theory of convergence" in the making in communist countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economy ended 2018 with 6.6% growth. Its recent supply-side structural reforms to manage the transition of its economy from an investment-driven to an innovation-driven growth model may have some achievements, but the China-US trade war and high debt level of corporations and local governments are among the major uncertainties for the Chinese economy. Since mid-2018, the government has modified its policy priorities, from a strong emphasis on structural reforms to measures that safeguard growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper addresses the question of how reform policies come into existence in transition economies, in which democratic market institutions are in nascent stages. Data from two case studies in Vietnam suggest that the evolution of reform policies in transition economies involves significant sense‐making processes, rather than problem solving, and that sense making alters stakeholders' foundations for learning and power influence in policymaking. In the end, stakeholders' acceptance of identity changes is needed for a reform policy to be realized. This study offers important research and policy implications, and such issues as identity redefinition in the policy process warrant further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We look at the growth experience of 25 transition countries over the 25 years since the dissolution of the USSR. The initial collapse in income was much more severe in 12 former Soviet Union countries (FSU12) than in the 10 transition countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (EU10). In 2015, FSU12 income levels were further behind EU10 than they were at the start of transition, despite more rapid growth in the last 15 years. Compared to predictions from a parsimonious growth model, the region as a whole is ‘normal’ in terms of growth performance since the 2000s. However, the FSU12 over‐perform and the EU10 under‐perform relative to model predictions for the last 15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article is based on a panel discussion on the future of transition countries 25 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. All the contributors have long professional and personal experience of various aspects of the transition process so far and provide different perspectives on what to expect for the region in the future. However, the need for continued reform in many areas of the respective economies are highlighted to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth in the future. A continued focus on enhancing productivity is the key to future economic success. Investments in human and physical capital need to be complemented with strengthening the fundamental institutions that make such investments possible and desirable for all relevant stakeholders. It will not be an easy reform process, but the alternatives are much less desirable for the vast majority of people in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Policy reforms targeting the services sectors are a neglected dimension of the process of structural transformation and economic development. The effects of such reforms on employment across industries as a function of their use of services as intermediate inputs are theoretically ambiguous and remain largely understudied. This paper uses sector‐level data for 24 transition economies for the 1990–2012 period to assess the impacts of services policy reforms on downstream manufacturing employment. We find a negative effect of services reforms on manufacturing sector employment. This is mostly associated with the process of transition to a market‐based economy. Controlling for transition‐specific dynamics, the data suggest a neutral effect of progress towards adopting “best practice” policies for upstream services on employment in downstream manufacturing. Furthermore, in line with the extant literature, we confirm that services policy reforms enhance productivity of downstream manufacturing industries. Finally, we find that the negative effects on downstream employment are mitigated in countries with better economic governance and human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia’s rapid population aging fortifies the case for strengthening human capital investments. Further, the experience of the newly industrialized economies suggests that human capital investments will be a vital ingredient of the transition from middle income to high income. Those investments can also affect equity and public finances. In this article, we use data from the National Transfer Accounts to empirically analyze the effect of human capital investment in Asian countries on economic growth, inequality, and fiscal balance. Our empirical evidence suggests that human capital investments have a positive effect on labor productivity and, hence, output. The positive effect is stronger for poorer households and, hence, beneficial for equity. We also find that such investments can generate sufficient tax revenues to improve the fiscal balance. Overall, our evidence points to a positive effect of human capital on growth, equity, and fiscal balance in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing Asia has undergone a dramatic shift over the past five decades from a region of mainly low-income economies toward one that is largely middle income. The region faces the challenge of moving further to high income particularly because, as this study shows, it takes longer for economies to move from upper middle to high income than shifting from lower middle to upper middle income. The study finds that developing Asian economies transformed more quickly than the rest of the world, whether the transition is from lower middle to upper middle income or from upper middle to high income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core tenet of modernization theory is that as nation-states develop both economically and socially, they will inevitably transition to democracy. Yet, despite 30-years of robust economic development and growth, including increases in civil society, democracy remains elusive in China. In this article, we conduct a critical and empirical analysis to understand the challenges and possibilities of democratization in China. Should China transition to democracy, it will most likely occur through a top-down process that transforms the state and its institutions of government or through a cooperative pact by joint forces of top-down and bottom-up processes. Under either a converted or cooperative transition, the modeling in this study strongly suggests that China is likely to be successful should it undertake the process of democratization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the concepts, results and practices of realization of economic reforms or the transition process with the aim of pointing out to the limitations of this process in the Western Balkans. In this regard, we examined the processes, the specific theses and the conclusions drawn from extensive analyzes by the relevant sources. The obtained results will answer the research question "Whether the transition process in the Western Balkans could go differently, ie to achieve the results that the public of the countries of the former communism expected?". We have shown that the transition process in the Western Balkans is far from the end. In line with the the present circumstances, the course of transition could not go differently, i.e achieve the expected results. In this regard, we are offering solutions that will turn the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards market-based real competitiveness, true-to-business entrepreneurship and social sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we conduct a meta-analysis of studies that empirically examine the relationship between economic transformation and foreign direct investment ( FDI) performance in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union over the past quarter century. More specifically, we synthesise the empirical evidence reported in previous studies that deal with the determinants of FDI in transition economies, focusing on the impacts of transition factors. We also perform meta-regression analysis to specify determinant factors of the heterogeneity among the relevant studies and the presence of publication-selection bias. We find that the existing literature reports a statistically significant non-zero effect as a whole, and a genuine effect is confirmed for some FDI determinants beyond the publication-selection bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic reforms in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe have fundamentally reshaped ownership and governance of economic production, notably through the privatization of former state-owned enterprises. These reforms were expected to transform management practices by displacing ‘cradle-to-grave’ welfare arrangements administered by state-owned enterprises. Using data drawn from two large samples of Ukrainian establishments, we investigate, in two different time points, the relationship between non-wage benefits and firm performance during the period of transition to a market economy (1994–2004). We found that non-wage benefits continued to be a critical feature of HRM practices in Ukraine during this period, and were positively associated with firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on the topics including the challenges and problems faced during the transition period in a city, urban innovation, and urban living.