Search

Questions of responsibility for future‐making often arise in localities where the withdrawal of capital and state seem to leave tangible voids and a sense of loss. Over the past decade, academic discourse has furthered discussions on the role of civic engagement, local initiatives and their agency under conditions of urban shrinkage. However, scholars (including ourselves) are confronted with their own normative assumptions and aspirations when conceptualizing local initiatives in shrinking cities. Through reviewing the literature on this phenomenon, we identified three main epistemological pitfalls that emerge from the legacies of planning discipline, current neoliberal developments and scholars' own biases. By drawing from our fieldwork experiences, we conclude that local initiatives should be viewed in the plurality of their essences as extremely variegated in form and motivation. We therefore assert the need to disentangle research on local initiatives in shrinking cities from normative aspirations to avoid neoliberal responsibilization, and instead pay attention to the nuances of their aims and practices, achievements and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The article aims to answer the following questions regarding the challenges of the modern world, support for inter-organizational relationships, and the use of initiatives in the field of science and business conducive to increasing competitiveness. It attempts to determine how to develop and manage contemporary initiatives regarding cooperation between the worlds of science, culture, art and business while maintaining the principles of ethics and culture, and how to help build support for business, science and culture. The aim of the article is also to demonstrate how the region’s managers can prevent the escalation of war-related issues and what actions to take to prevent local societies from generating problems. Finally, the article tries to indicate how to build lasting inter-organizational relationships, how science, culture and art can contribute to solving local problems, and how informal clusters can support regional management through inter-organizational cooperation. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses the methods of literature research and a case study in the Świętokrzyskie region. Findings: The article presents an example of an inter-organizational cooperation initiative promoting the worlds of business, science, culture, art and local governments in the Świętokrzyskie region in the study of selected cases. The issue of building competitive advantages of the region through the development of inter-organizational relationships between the worlds of science, business, culture and art is also addressed. Practical implications: Region managers can implement inter-organizational cooperation, which brings the most benefits, by including cooperation with scientific, cultural, art, sports and business institutions. The article characterizes initiatives of inter-organizational cooperation between business, science, culture and art. Inter-organizational cooperation initiatives can be used as sources of new competitive advantages for the region and building effective management strategies. Modern management of the region’s competitiveness is the development of a mentality based on the principles of learning to use the regionally demonstrated freedom and ethics of business behaviour that implements inter-organizational cooperation, which is characterized in the case study. The inter-organizational cooperation initiatives analysed in this article in the Świętokrzyskie region have a synergistic effect and benefits in a number of other regions of Poland; therefore, they are an effective tool for managing the region in the aspect of building inter-organizational relationships. Social implications: Effective management of the region involves creating a society that is willing to undertake conflict-free changes, implements innovations, is open to discussion and dialogue, and introduces conflict-free change implementation. Recent years have shown that high intellectual capital and the implementation of new technologies and innovations can become a competitive advantage, provided that society is a conscious, sensitive and ethical recipient of the proposed competitive strategies of enterprises. The analysis of the problems of the war between Ukraine and Russia demonstrates that the managers of the region should make every effort in order to encourage the society to develop an attitude of sensitivity to harm, entrepreneurship based on the principles of ethical competition, the use of democratic freedom in a reasonable manner, as well as the use of property for purposes related to the development of emotional sensitivity to manifestations of intolerance and replacing conflicts with cooperation. In the long run, the effects of such management will benefit every participant of the market, because everyone is a resident of a region and has similar needs (security, development, improvement), and inter-organizational cooperation can achieve this through a region management strategy. Originality/value: The article characterizes modern regional management, which, owing to inter-organizational cooperation between business, science, culture, art and local government, will support the peaceful resolution of regional problems and conflicts (war, famine, poverty) through the development of behaviour aimed at building inter-organizational relationships. Modern competition rules are intended to foster the creation of multi-level inter-organizational relationships, the benefits (synergistic effects) of which are described in the article on the basis of the analysis and evaluation of inter-organizational cooperation implemented in the Świętokrzyskie region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slum areas are often seen in urban spatial policy gaps. The slum area becomes a dilemma, it portrays the unsuccessful management of a city area, on the other hand the reality of the city has the potential to become slum area tourism as an alternative attraction for tourism in urban areas. Efforts made by stakeholders in terms of city management tend to ignore slum areas as a city reality that has never touched a solution to the problem. Slum areas with social problems require real solutions. Through tourism in slum areas, residents innovate to represent and interpret their territory to find solutions for themselves. So far, studies on slum area tourism regarding how local residents represent and interpret their territory are still rare. Therefore, this study tries to look at the initiative to practice representation and interpretation of local residents in their area, and how stakeholders represent slum areas in their area through a qualitative study using a city tourism approach. Based on the results of data collection, a description of the situation of slum areas and their communities can practically represent themselve as the reality of the city and present themselve as part of the development of city tourism. By imaging the slum area, local people earn income from interacting with tourists who hope to get a complete experience of the city's tourist destinations they visit. On the other hand, local communities who are involved in the practice of representing slum area tourism indirectly criticize city management by displaying the contrast between slum area residents and tourists through digital media within the framework of local initiatives as a form of development participation.

The study is devoted to identifying the role of local initiatives and local communities in solving garbage problems in the cities of Apatity and Kirovsk in the Murmansk region. The cases of Apatity and Kirovsk show that the basis for the consolidation of the local community as a socio-territorial community is the place of residence and the use of existing social structures, in this case, localized neighboring communities, Internet communities and their communication channels. The interviews conducted at the field stage in the cities showed that thanks to local initiatives, in parallel to the actions of regional operators, there is a process of transformation of ecological thinking and the formation of a certain mentality. In each city, more and more people are involved in the process of cleaning the territory from garbage and separate collection of waste. In many ways, urban initiatives in Kirovsk and Apatity in the conditions of urban shrinkage exist not because of, but in spite of the socio-economic processes that are taking place there. Most of the citizens involved in the process note that it is very important for them to make their city better and feel like a part of something in common, to feel their need.

Achieving sustainability in the Anthropocene requires radical changes to how human societies operate. The Seeds of Good Anthropocenes (SOGA) project has identified a diverse set of existing initiatives, called "seeds," that have the potential to catalyze transformations toward more sustainable pathways. However, the empirical investigation of factors and conditions that enable successful sustainability transformations across multiple cases has been scarce. Building on a review of existing theoretical and empirical research, we developed a theoretical framework for assessing three features identified as important to transformative potential of innovative socialecological initiatives: (1) learning practices, (2) empowerment, and (3) networking. We applied this framework to a set of African-led and Africa-related initiatives that we selected from the SOGA database that were divided into initiatives with more or less transformative potential. We coded the presence or absence of features relating to the theoretical framework using secondary data, and then compared the initiatives using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). This analysis revealed that of the three features tested, Networking emerged as the most important feature for transformative potential when compared amongst cases. By developing and testing a framework for the comparison of cases we provide a basis for future comparative work to further identify and test properties of cases that enable transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Purpose: The aim of the article was to answer the following questions: Does the promotion of local initiatives influence the popularization of the region? How does the cooperation of inter7 organizational stakeholders affect the development of the region? How do local initiatives promote the Świętokrzyskie region? What is the role and importance of stakeholders in creating local initiatives? What are the effects of inter-organizational relations in the described examples of local initiatives? Design/methodology/approach: The article uses the case study research method, which seems to be interesting and little known local initiatives to promote the Świętokrzyskie region, and refers to the concept of regional management in terms of the "blue ocean strategy" (e.g. building relationships and inter-organizational cooperation). Findings: The article presents examples of good practice used by municipal managers in the Świętokrzyskie region. These examples best reflect the competitive success of the implemented "blue ocean" strategies based on cooperation between stakeholders, searching for common values and building inter-organizational relationship networks as a key element of competitive advantage. Practical implications: Managers of the region can apply a blue ocean strategy based on regional partnership, building inter-organizational relationship networks and inter22 organizational collaboration. When creating a new strategy, mayors, starosts and marshals should apply actions to increase competitive advantage. Social implications: A strategy based on the values of partnership and cooperation consists in: observing alternative strategic solutions of other regions, educating them, applying various strategies, reprogramming the thinking of the local society (e.g. not only communication routes are important, but also ecological behaviours), creating solutions favourable for the development of the municipality (e.g. a common sewage treatment plant, health resort), each of which will have the benefit of creating new solutions, accepting innovations, distinctive features, shaping external trends (e.g. the Park of Miniature World Buildings in Krajno). Originality/value: The article is recommended to region managers (mayors, starosts, marshals) who are looking for a strategy to increase the region's competitiveness. The article constitutes an innovative solution for the application of the "blue ocean strategy", which so far has been described only in the case of enterprises. The article is a guide for "region managers" who build a strategy of competitiveness based on inter-organizational cooperation and activate stakeholders to create local initiatives. The competitive success of two local initiatives in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is for them a source of research, analyses as well as a guide to good practice. The article presents the implementation of the "blue ocean strategy" in an original way, by promoting the role of the region's stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on local initiatives and the agency of residents in the shrinking town of Puolanka in northern Finland. Structural opportunities and constraints shape individual and collective agency in the community, as they steer how people create and develop initiatives. We discuss how local initiatives impact the sense of place among those who would like to stay in their rural hometown. A group of local activists facetiously market Puolanka as the 'most pessimistic town' in the world, turning shrinkange, decay, and pessimism into the town's brand. Beyond the pessimism brand several other initiatives, which are either created by engaged local residents or are municipality-led, are revitalizing and enhancing the liveability of Puolanka. By applying ethnographic research methods, we aim to show how initiatives improve the well-being and contribute to the place perception of residents. Such initiatives create jobs, albeit usually in small numbers, improve the physical space, stabilize the sense of community and can bring hope to a place characterized by increasing abandonment, decay, and the loss of local services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses research conducted in Swiss post-war high-rise estates to focus on policies and practices of community building in neighbourhoods with an increasingly diverse population. Initially, the estates were mainly populated by Swiss and Southern European lower to middle income families, but latterly the household structures have become very heterogeneous with residents coming from all over the world. The planning and development policies of the estates are based on specific ideas about creating a community, which are still evident in the building and management of community centres but also in various facilities for common use (playgrounds, football and sport fields, community rooms and kitchens, libraries, petting zoos, cafés, crafts rooms, etc.). The community centres, along with community work, are key to encouraging encounters, connecting people and activating cultural life in the neighbourhoods and have played a pioneering role far beyond the boundaries of their respective estates. However, individualisation and pluralisation processes, the aging of the facilities and built structures, and economic pressures pose challenges for the community centres. The current Covid-19 crisis reinforces these challenges by limiting and impeding cultural activities and direct (physical) social encounters. The paper analyses the potential and the challenges of community building in the context of growing diversity among residents, and acknowledges what we can learn from these experiences when thinking about creating and strengthening communities in a multi-faceted world today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peripheral (rural) regions in most countries face four vicious circles that contribute to their low level of development and inability to achieve the sustainable level of development. The first vicious circle is related to demography and is caused by the vulnerable population; very few young people and imbalance of women and men lead to poor economy, i.e. dominance of subsistence economy over production or trade; unfavorable age structure combined with poor services lead to very low birth rate and high levels of migration. The second vicious circle of remoteness is related to the fact that poor infrastructure does not attract businesses or new residents in the area, which contributes to high levels of migration as young and working-age population, especially families with young children, move out. The third vicious circle is related to education: the low level of education and skills mean that there is no labor force available in the region, which prevents business from entering the local market. Lack of employment means high poverty risk, which again accelerates migration from the rural areas. All these processes undermine the possibilities for local development simply because there is not enough human or economic capital to sustain rural development. These negative trends are not only typical for rural areas of Russia but have a strong impact on peripheral areas of many other post-socialist and European countries. The governments in Russia and European Union introduced various programs and measures to promote local development so that to overcome the negative consequences of all the mentioned vicious circles. In the first part of the article, the authors evaluate some local development efforts funded by the Ladoga Initiative project, successful and failed projects aimed at overcoming the vicious circles. In the second part of the article, the authors describe grant and priority programs introduced in Russia to support local development.

This paper uses research conducted in Swiss post-war high-rise estates to focus on policies and practices of community building in neighbourhoods with an increasingly diverse population. Initially, the estates were mainly populated by Swiss and Southern European lower to middle income families, but latterly the household structures have become very heterogeneous with residents coming from all over the world. The planning and development policies of the estates are based on specific ideas about creating a community, which are still evident in the building and management of community centres but also in various facilities for common use (playgrounds, football and sport fields, community rooms and kitchens, libraries, petting zoos, cafés, crafts rooms, etc.). The community centres, along with community work, are key to encouraging encounters, connecting people and activating cultural life in the neighbourhoods and have played a pioneering role far beyond the boundaries of their respective estates. However, individualisation and pluralisation processes, the aging of the facilities and built structures, and economic pressures pose challenges for the community centres. The current Covid-19 crisis reinforces these challenges by limiting and impeding cultural activities and direct (physical) social encounters. The paper analyses the potential and the challenges of community building in the context of growing diversity among residents, and acknowledges what we can learn from these experiences when thinking about creating and strengthening communities in a multi-faceted world today.

My project examines a series of local initiatives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where residents exercise their will and power to reshape the city according to their own needs.

The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development was approved in September 2015 and has the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a central component. The role of healthy cities in achieving the SDGs, mainly SDG 11, has been reinforced by the World Health Organization (WHO). Initiatives such as the Healthy Municipalities, Cities, and Communities (HMC) in Brazil, sponsored by WHO, could be a complementary framework to support the implementation of SDG 11 at local levels. This study draws on a qualitative methodology to examine how HMC initiatives can support the integration of health promotion into the implementation of Goal 11 at local levels in Brazil. While social participation and integration of SDGs across Master Plans seem to be enablers factors, the lack of a national strategy and the absence of an effective evaluation of the results achieved by HMC seem to have hindered the potential of HMC in Brazil and could be critical factors for the integration of health into SDG 11 at local levels. Moreover, drawing on HMC potential contributions, this research proposes a framework to integrate health promotion across SDG 11 at local levels. Findings also suggest that there are several achievements and lessons learned from the implementation of HMC that could contribute to integrating health into SDG 11 at local levels in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on shrinking cities often portrays local initiatives in two contrasting ways: either as marginal, powerless, and somewhat backwards-oriented actors, or as human capital, a resource for development, and even as the hope for a more democratic development. However, there is a risk that scholarship unintentionally contributes to local initiatives being included in neoliberal development agendas. During our field research in two small, shrinking, and peripheralized towns in Finland and Germany, we discovered that both perspectives are misleading. They distract from the actual conditions of the initiatives' work, the causes of their financial or demographic precarity, and the self-responsibilization that is common among such initiatives. Scarcity motivates a DI(F)Y approach, organizing services and amenities on limited resources to enhance the quality of life in the area. This limited availability may seem like a natural result of population decline. By comparing the German and Finnish cases, we can see how state policies towards peripheral areas affect the work of local initiatives. This demonstrates that precarity in shrinking places is a result of policies rather than demographic development trajectory. • Local initiatives in shrinking towns are neither powerless, backward-looking actors nor human capital for local development. • Peripheralization - shortage of resources, dependence and population loss - affects the modus operandi of local initiatives. • (Self-)responsibilization is a main feature of a Do-It_(For)Yourself attitude of initiatives stepping in for public services. • The comparison between Finland and Germany shows the significance of state policy toward peripheralized locations. • Neoliberal policies promoting centralisation, market solutions and (self-)responsibilization do naturalize peripheralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) witnessed the occurrence of various initiatives, highlighting an increasing interest and entrepreneurship in transforming the food system, at both municipal and civil society levels. As sustainability demands become increasingly global, it becomes pivotal for planning policy to understand the mechanisms through which urban actors are pioneering these new ambitions. This paper describes how global goals are being materialized by local actors and practices, insofar as their scope aims to transform this region’s food system. Our work is based on a three-fold objective: to characterize such initiatives; study how they’re suggesting new food planning agendas in the LMA; and systematize what possible future planning policy can learn from such insights. After an introduction to the territory’s planning context and research rationale, a methodological account is provided before completing with a comparing scenario, taken from a 2014 questionnaire among planning officials, with the discourses of 80 initiatives of the public and civil society sectors enquired in 2019. Finally, while using an analytical framework grounded on the recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Resources Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), we flesh out some lessons for future planning policy aiming for long-term sustainability grounded on inter-municipal cooperation and mutual, continuous learning.

The paper presents an analysis of the situation of social services in rural areas, as well as the physical infrastructure - in which they take place. Given the degree of poverty and vulnerability of the population in rural areas, integrated interventions through LEADER come in response to local needs. LAGs participate in developing and strengthening the role of local governance by involving public authorities, the private sector and civil society in community-based decision-making. Some of these decisions are aimed at solving social problems at the local level. Through LEADER, the LAG is a facilitator for the implementation of intervention and social assistance programs, as well as other community services. The situation of the distribution of LEADER interventions by regions is presented, detailing the number and value of projects financed by EAFRD and those financed by ESF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) witnessed the occurrence of various initiatives, highlighting an increasing interest and entrepreneurship in transforming the food system, at both municipal and civil society levels. As sustainability demands become increasingly global, it becomes pivotal for planning policy to understand the mechanisms through which urban actors are pioneering these new ambitions. This paper describes how global goals are being materialized by local actors and practices, insofar as their scope aims to transform this region's food system. Our work is based on a three-fold objective: to characterize such initiatives; study how they're suggesting new food planning agendas in the LMA; and systematize what possible future planning policy can learn from such insights. After an introduction to the territory's planning context and research rationale, a methodological account is provided before completing with a comparing scenario, taken from a 2014 questionnaire among planning officials, with the discourses of 80 initiatives of the public and civil society sectors enquired in 2019. Finally, while using an analytical framework grounded on the recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Resources Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF), we flesh out some lessons for future planning policy aiming for long-term sustainability grounded on inter-municipal cooperation and mutual, continuous learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeszyty Wiejskie is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Lodzkiego 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 discusses the idea of co-production, understood as informed and intentional participation of citizens in the organisation and provision of public services in the context of the global ageing process, a phenomenon which necessitates actions aimed to secure the needs of older people. The basis for the empirical investigation was a study carried out under the aegis of a WHO agency, the Centre for Health Development in Kobe, Japan. It offers an analysis of the case studies of initiatives addressed to elderly people in the local communities of 10 selected developing countries (Chile, China, Iran, Libya, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam). The key criterion in the selection of the analysed projects was direct involvement of institutional and non-institutional representatives of local communities in their implementation. As a participant (researcher) of this international survey, the author analyses the observable manifestations of silver co-production characterising the individual initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anthropocene presents a set of interlinked sustainability challenges for humanity. The United Nations 2030 Agenda has identified 17 specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a way to confront these challenges. However, local initiatives have long been addressing issues connected to these goals in a myriad of diverse and innovative ways. We present a new approach to assess how local initiatives contribute to achieving the SDGs. We analyse how many, and how frequently, different SDGs and targets are addressed in a set of African initiatives. We consider goals and targets addressed by the same initiative as interacting between them. Then, we cluster the SDGs based on the combinations of goals and targets addressed by the initiatives and explore how SDGs differ in how local initiatives engage with them. We identify 5 main groups: SDGs addressed by broad-scope projects, SDGs addressed by specific projects, SDGs as means of implementation, cross-cutting SDGs and underrepresented SDGs. Goal 11 (sustainable cities & communities) is not clustered with any other goal. Finally, we explore the nuances of these groups and discuss the implications and relevance for the SDG framework to consider bottom-up approaches. Efforts to monitor the success on implementing the SDGs in local contexts should be reinforced and consider the different patterns initiatives follow to address the goals. Additionally, achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda will require diversity and alignment of bottom-up and top-down approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local initiatives in the energy climate field have gained importance, visibility and support in many countries. Political agendas have been flagging localism as a key to success for energy transitions. While encouraging the involvement of multiple constituencies in energy transition processes on various scales, policy frameworks have been evolved to increasingly mirror a neoliberal agenda, relying on business models and the construction of new markets. The composition of and the direction taken by energy transition processes under such a new configuration, as well as their implications as regards to social justice and sustainability on various scales, still have to be analysed. The special issue explores these questions, as well as the multiple entanglements of local climate energy initiatives, based on a few longitudinal case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In France and Germany, significant networks of local initiatives have developed around energy issues. This article brings practitioners' viewpoints into discussion. It presents the way in which two of these networks – the CLER-network for the energy transition (France) and the 100% – Regions network (Germany) – each identifies itself, describes its action and build-up process in relation to government action, and conceives of justice issues in the field of climate energy policy. The analysis shows that these two networks share a lot, including political ends (localisation of energy production, empowerment of rural territories), but practice quite differently as intermediaries for local initiatives. This suggests overcoming the transition management vs grassroots divide present in the literature and paying more attention to hybrids. It also brings emphasis on a type of intermediary's work, which has not been covered by the academic literature, namely that of tinkering with multiple supports and embedding action in local-national-supranational networking in order to maintain continuity. In discussing justice dimensions, we emphasize that motives or ends of action are only reflectively related to ideas of justice: justice issues seem bound up with a politics of assembling, either as a marker of federative action (all fighting for justice) or as a potentially divisive issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are central players and important economic actors in many regions, and many of them are, in general, nationally and internationally active in respect of matters related to sustainable development. But there is a paucity of research which examines their contributions towards sustainability efforts at the local level, i.e. in the places they are situated. This paper addresses this need, by reporting on a qualitative study deploying a Matrix, which allows an analysis and reporting of regional sustainable development initiatives of a set of 22 universities in industrialised and developing countries. Recommendations to enhance their role are provided, including the importance of pursuing partnerships and joint initiatives, understanding the need of local communities, and making their know-how more widely available. The scientific value of this research is related to the understanding of how the interaction between universities and local communities happens and by shedding light to this topic, it supports universities to improve their own actions. Its implications are two-fold: it demonstrates the potential of universities as local players and outlines the range of activities they may engage with, and which may allow them to act as pillars to local sustainability initiatives. • Universities are central players and important economic actors in many regions. • Their contributions towards sustainability efforts at the local level may be substantial. • An analysis and reporting of regional sustainable development initiatives shows some deficiencies. • Understanding the potential role that universities can play on sustainability could help address global challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of endogenous development plays a fundamental role in the progress of rural communities since it is subscribed as an option to energize marginalized populations through local initiatives that involve a change in the productive activities that, on many occasions, manage to integrate the tertiary or service sector. Due to the expectations that tourism activity directly generates, especially in rural communities with distinctive identity features, such activity means the exploitation of their cultural and natural heritage as a means to diversify their economy, create new jobs, and, therefore, a significant development opportunity. This work aims to elaborate a review of the specialized literature based on the Web of Science database regarding the local development endogenous concept and to identify how this concept integrates the tourist activity in its approach. Twenty-six articles were identified that include this concept, and only three of them add tourism directly. The main conclusion is that researchers admit the existence of a partnership between local endogenous development and tourism, mainly community-based tourism, by integrating this activity as a strategy for innovation and productive diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the urgent problem – the development of cultural and educational tourism. The empiric basis of the research is represented by data of the expert survey of the senior officers of local authorities of municipal formations of the Russian Federation, the results of the population survey, data of the Federal Service of State Statistics, the results of the researches of the All-Russian Center of Studying Social Opinion (ARCSSO), “Social Opinion” Fund, etc. The article distinguishes the most essential factors that prevent the development of the cultural and educational tourism in the Russian Federation, and defines basic recommendations on forming the resourceful provision of management practices related to developing the tourism attractiveness of territories. Under the modern conditions, a special attention is paid to the formation of the financial basis, scientific and informational provision of the management activity, support for local creative initiatives, popularizing of the internal tourism, and actualization of the local tourism potential.

Energy retrofitting of existing buildings is a central challenge for local, national, and international climate policies, and in several countries, single-family houses represent a major energy-saving potential. Although many municipalities are implementing local climate policies with initiatives to promote energy retrofitting of buildings, little research has been done regarding the role of single-family houses in local climate policies. Thus, we have little knowledge about specific initiatives to promote energy retrofitting amongst owners of single-family houses, we know little about experience from such initiatives, and we lack knowledge about the extent to which national and EU policies support local initiatives directed at homeowners. This article provides insights into these issues from an explorative study on local climate strategies in Danish front-runner municipalities where single-family housing is the dominating building segment. Based on a study of local governance strategies in 12 municipalities targeting homeowners' engagement in energy retrofitting, the paper finds that these municipalities have developed promising local network-based ways to engage homeowners in energy retrofitting, but finds simultaneously that the national policy mix is only partly supporting these local initiatives. The paper also points out that the local and regional context for the programmes, including the local economic situation, is of great importance, and this context creates both potentials and challenges for the local programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community renewable energy projects have captured significant attention due to their potential to tackle climate change by socially and economically empowering local societies. Recently, however, various difficulties in the continuity of such projects over extended periods of time have been reported. As a case study, this article explores a woody biomass project, planned and put into practice by local people, which has lasted for over 10 years. The article first examines the process of collective decision-making among members who have diverse motivations. It then focuses on how the project objectives have been interpreted by individual members, paying particular attention to each member's practice. The article shows that decisions related to the project were based on the diverse and constant social interactions between members, which focused on their collaboration rather than overall quantitative goals. I argue, both theoretically and empirically, that this vagueness of the overall goals has enabled the project's continuity. Based on their own practices, it has allowed each project member to interpret the project and to gain a sense of its success. Diversity of practices within a project leads to plural sets of values, which bring sustainability to a project running in an uncertain context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrialization in Arapiraca/AL and Itabaiana/SE has emerged through local actions, peculiar characteristics of 'agrestino' people. It's possible to say that the industrial genesis in Arapiraca is bonded to rural activities, with the flour mills and street markets - which are causes of the arising of businessmen and traders. Now it holds a great industrial park, it overcomes the regional limits. The Itabaiana industrial origin also relates to rural activities and its fair, as well as the potteries. Currently the predominant branches are the potter and the body of factories to truck. It's noticed that the transformation economy to market, allows analyze the industrial process that is being implemented and conquering space, even agricultural activity still having great importance in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the problems of development of social activity of population. The low activity of local population is now characterized by the following social trends: aloofness from public life, individualism, leading-strings mentality, consumer attitude, legal nihilism. The characteristic of the main reasons for the current situation is given in the article. It is noted that one of the effective tools to attract social investment and development is a grant support for local initiatives, which plays an important role in increasing the social activity of population. This article focuses on the development of grant support in the rural areas at the modern stage. The author analyzed the current status of grant support of rural initiatives in Russia and the Orel region. It is noted that the grant support has great potential, although it is at an early stage of its development. In the conclusion, actions for the development of social activity at the local level are planned.

Participation in spatial planning has been studied extensively in the past decades, but many cases of spatial planning have nonetheless seen a gap between decision makers and local residents. This is why participation in spatial planning has become a classic research question of many urban planning–related sciences. The greatest focus has been on cases of participation that present some kind of reaction to plans or actions, whereas far less attention has been given to cases of participation based on initiatives and the search for new content for underused or decaying areas. Such cases usually start with initiatives for the new use of particular places and often result in physical changes to these places. This article defines various types of local initiatives, and it especially studies the distinction between reactionary and contributive local initiatives and relates them to the notion of community. The article is based on an analysis of two particular cases. The differences in these two cases represent a foundation for the article’s conclusions, which emphasises the potentials for stimulating contributive participation. The conclusion includes recommendations for the spatial planning system to become more open to participation in terms of revitalising underused spaces because such space has been increasing during the economic downturn. The complex and inefficient system of spatial planning is turning away many creative initiatives.

Although the US and NATO invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 was ideologically justified under the banner of democracy and women’s rights, the latter issue has been completely forgotten within the public sphere since then. As the war has officially ended in Afghanistan, new forms of misogyny and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) have arisen. The ‘post-war’ Afghan context presents an institutional normalization of violence, favouring a culture of rape and impunity. The changing frames of violence against women are widely related to the political situation of the country: while public attention is focused on peace agreements, women’s issues are relegated to banalities and depicted as ‘everyday’ news. Meanwhile, new frames of SGBV appear as body part mutilation within marriage, forced prostitution, and increasing domestic violence, partly due to the growing consumption of opium but also to the perpetuation of powerful warlords in state structures. This article draws on gender studies to analyse the current misogynist culture in ‘post-war’ Afghanistan, framing the new forms of violence induced by successive armed conflicts. It relies on interviews conducted in 2013 in Afghanistan; and on secondary sources, mostly taken from the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan and Human Rights Watch reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]