[No Abstract]

<p>The aim of this study is to analyse the Swedish state´s ambition in achieving equality among its citizens. By studying the new urban policy introduced by the government in 1998 from a theoretical perspective the purpose of this essay is to understand the ideational dimensions in this policy project, in regard to established understandings about equality.</p><p>The theoretical framework on which this study is based consists of two different parts. The first presents dominating models on welfare states, mainly focusing on the socialdemocratic welfare state. The second introduces influential theoretical views on equality, primarily discussing universalism and a differentiated equality view. It also presents theoretical views on how to understand the relationship between the state an its citizens. This essay is taking its departure from a perspective based on constructionism, by asking how the problem was constructed and what the policy tells us. It is a case study using a discoursive approach in analysing the policy from an understanding of policies as arguments shaped by normative assumptions made by actors whose assumptions are limited by the discourse in which they exist.</p><p>The main result of the study is that since the policy was created while the socialdemocratic party was in government, the normative assumptions, on which the party base its analysis on society, therefore had a main influence on the policy. Even though the analysis of the policy shows a tendency in Swedish welfare politics moving away from universalism towards a differentiated view on equality, with the state still marked by communitarian ideals, there appears to be a resistance towards including the perspective of cultural recognition next to the traditional view on economic redistribution based on a class theory.</p>

Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.--University of Hong Kong) under the title: Tang dai shou du Chang'an de ju min sheng ji yu cheng shi zheng ce yan jiu. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 330-390).

Thesis (Master of Architecture and Master of City Planning)--College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

With the rise of cities as geographical units, there have been a growing number of municipal partnerships and networks. Government-led intercity cooperation at regional scale—regional city-to-city (C2C) cooperation booms in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in the last two decades. Urban competitiveness is a concept tied to intercity competition that decides the relative position of cities in urban ranking. In regional C2C cooperation, urban competitiveness serves as the asset of partner-cities and usually as one of the primary targets of the cooperation. However, there is a general lack of studies on the influence of urban competitiveness on regional C2C cooperation. The introduction of the perspective of urban competitiveness is an approach of developing a comprehensive framework connecting factors of regional C2C cooperation. The objective of this research is to analyze the influence of urban competitiveness on regional C2C cooperation in China’s local context. In this study, the added value of regional C2C cooperation is divided into added value of urban competitiveness and political added value brought by intervention from upper-level governments. Three typology of C2C cooperation (i.e. hybrid, hierarchical and spontaneous) have been identified. Three cases in the YRD region including the Jiangyin-Jingjiang Industrial Park of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou-Suqian Industrial Park, and Shanghai Caohejing Hi-Tech Park Haining Sub-park are selected for case studies accordingly. This study indicates that urban competitiveness and government intervention are crucial to regional C2C cooperation. Urban competitiveness is essential in regional C2C partnership maintenance, while intervention from upper-level governments is effective and efficient in strategy formulation and partner selection. The measurement of urban competitiveness in the YRD region in 2002, 2005, and 2008 indicates the partner-city with relatively larger urban competitiveness is more likely to assume a leading role in the C2C partnership. Noticeably, it is found that the intervention from the provincial government tends to consolidate such impact. The measurement also reveals that urban competitiveness in the YRD region is transforming from an investment-driven stage to an innovation- and human capital-driven stage. Noticeably, the increasing weighting of basic factors in the building of urban competitiveness found in the YRD region is hard to be explained by the mainstream urban competitive advantage theories. Therefore, a localization of the theories is advocated by this research. Imprints of China’s local context transpire in the three cases, including economic decentralization and simultaneous political centralization. The role of provincial government is weakened in China’s political restructuring. However, revealed by the case studies, intervention from provincial government to regional C2C cooperation is still observed to be effective in terms of strategy formulation and negotiation. With the rise of public-private partnership focusing on investment and economic growth, as well as strong government intervention in regional C2C cooperation, the three cases reflect China’s urban entrepreneurialism. Furthermore, a recent shift in China’s urban entrepreneurialism has been found in the region, which is the increasing emphasis on environmental care for sustainable development. This recent shift accords with the global movement toward environmentalism for sustainable development. The underlying logic and reasons are different from those in the West, resting upon the different nature of involvement and governing process. The findings of this research contribute to a better understanding of the relations between urban competitiveness and regional C2C cooperation in China’s local context and the role of governments. As one of the most developed regions in China, the experiences in the YRD region can shed light on the development of other developing areas. / published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study examines urban wildlife conservation in Arizona as a function of public opinion and agency involvement. In the fall of 1985, a questionnaire was mailed to 1000 randomly chosen households. Respondents answered questions about urban wildlife-related activities, preferred species and locations for urban wildlife conservation, wildlife-related pest problems, a public agency's responsibility for urban wildlife, and potential agency-sponsored urban wildlife programs. Analysis of the survey data indicate that Tucsonans are aware of, have favorable opinions about, and actively encourage the presence of urban wildlife. An analysis of urban wildlife conservation as a public issue yields additional information pertinent to the design and implementation of a state agency urban wildlife conservation program. The combined results of these analyses suggest that state agency involvement in urban wildlife conservation is publicly acceptable; an urban constituency can potentially benefit an agency's support base; and urban wildlife conservation's unique characteristics warrant special attention during program and policy development.

No description available.