This study is an investigation of the relationship between selected structural characteristics of the community and innovation among cities. Four major Structural characteristics were chosen to serve as independent variables. These independent variables were community differentiation, community poverty, community maturity and type of local government. Innovation, as measured by applicant status to the federal Urban Development Action Grant Program, served as the dependent variable. Analysis of the data indicated support for several of the postulated hypotheses. The structural characteristic community differentiation was found to be significantly related to applicant status. For the structural characteristic community poverty no significant relationship to applicant status was observed. Community maturity revealed a significant relationship to applicant status. Finally, for the structural characteristic local form of government a significant relationship with applicant status was observed. Based on the interpretation of the findings, an original typology of innovation was developed. This typology included planned revitalizing innovation, social enhancing innovation, entrepreneurial stimulating innovation, and needs inducing innovation.

From the beginning of 1980s, Hsichin has become a dreaming heaven of emigrants who move to the urban area of Taipei because the fever of housing market and the policy of government. As the high density development of slope land, the runoff capacity will be increased. On the other hand, river land will be decreased by city growth. Impacting by the above two reason, Hsichin is called as the flown city by the mass media. The goal of this research is discussing the reaction between the city development of Hsichin, the flood event, and the flood prevention activities. This research uses ¡§System Dynamics¡¨ as a research method, simulating with ¡§iThink¡¨ computer software, building a model of Hsichin city growth and flood event, using this model to precede the policy test to find out which policy will be the economic benefit. The research conclusion is: 1. The aspect of engineering activities: We adopt three policies including Yuansantze activity, dike building activity, and dredging activity. Under the same cost, we¡¦ll find out Yuansantze activity is the most benefit one. When mixing all policies, the most benefit one is putting the fund as 25% in dike building and 75% in dredging. These activities are focused on lowering flood damage directly. In the short term, the outcome is very obvious. However, in the long term, combining city growth management will be the only solution to solve problems of not only city overgrowth but also land development disequilibrium. 2. The aspect of city growth management: We adopt three policies including slope land conservation, converting land to flood storage area, and limiting of population and business. By this research, we¡¦ll find out limiting of population and business is the most efficient method focused on controlling population scale and lowering land development. This research provides an alternative way which is combining limiting high density development and slope land conservation to solve the situation of land development disequilibrium. In my opinion, the authority government cannot take engineering activities as the only way to control flood damage, however, the government should combine two aspects of controlling flood activities to solve Hsichin flood problem.