M.B.A. / The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is a self-financing, state owned, national development finance institution that provides risk financing to entrepreneurs engaged in a multitude of industries. Its vision is to be the primary driving force of commercially sustainable industrial development in South Africa. International research has shown that the catalyst for promoting and sustaining industrial development in many countries is the contribution made by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In South Africa, extensive research has shown that the growth of these enterprises is currently stifled by the lack of access to finance, mainly from commercial banks and private equity financiers, who have imposed onerous lending criteria on this market sector. The literature also reveals that alternative state and private sector financial institutions have been unable to fill this finance vacuum adequately. The IDC, as a national development finance institution, currently operates in the SME market by making loan finance available to these companies, provided that they meet its' extensive funding criteria. This dissertation examines the role the IDC is currently playing in the financing of SMEs by undertaking an assessment of the IDC's loan criteria. Recommendations based on the assessment are made with a view to improving the number of SMEs helped with financial assistance by the IDC.

The government land development corporation model works at ‘arm’s length’ from the public sector to manage development of public land assets. With the potential to create uplift in value and shape the built environment to achieve City objectives, many municipalities have established this model, yet there is a lack of study on their impact to the municipal planning and development process. This research presents a case study, including key informant interviews, of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation’s (CMLC) management of the redevelopment of the East Village to identify lessons that may be application in other development projects. A list of themes for success and weakness informs discussion on how a government land development model can impact municipal planning policy, development process and standards. Half way into the project timeline, CMLC has achieved many of its objectives through a coordinated approach grounded in a strong vision set in a Master Plan. Active marketing and infrastructure upgrades that focused on connections established a renewed sense of place to a blighted neighborhood. CMLC benefits from being able to act in a nimble manner outside of the often-extended municipal decision-making structure. A broad mandate, control over budget decision, land ownership and authority to manage phasing provides efficiency in operations and confidence to investors, however public accountability remains a concern. CMLC introduces new avenues of collaboration and brings multiple disciplines together for risk sharing facilitating innovation in planning policy, practice and standards, that otherwise may have been lost in negotiation. Positioned at the interface between public and private, CMLC has found success in balancing interests and tensions through combining the strengths of each sector. / February 2017

published_or_final_version / Urban Studies / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

Downtowns contribute significantly to the economy of cities and as a result, decision makers are increasingly recognizing the fundamental value and importance of maintaining viable downtown cores. Following the post-war era of urban decay and suburban expansion, there have been widespread attempts nationwide to reverse trends and to revitalize downtowns. In the Winnipeg context, urban renewal was practiced throughout the 1960s and 1970s; tripartite agreements were utilized during the 1980s; and development corporations were introduced throughout the 1980s and 1990s as a way to encourage private sector investment with targeted public sector investments. This practicum investigates the relationship between planning and development in the downtown revitalization context. In particular, this research aims to discover the extent to which a downtown development agency may have facilitated the better integration of planning and development in a city’s downtown, where revitalization has been very much on the public agenda. Winnipeg’s CentreVenture Development Corporation was used as a case study to explore this relationship. It was established in 1999 and continues to operate today. This paper attempts to determine the extent of its involvement, and the manner by which this arms-length government agency has aided and influenced tangible development in Winnipeg’s downtown. Furthermore, the case study was used to understand the nature, scope and form of related downtown revitalization, and to distill any learning about the general topic that might be applicable in other comparable settings. The practicum concludes by providing potentially transferable best practices to cities with similar characteristics and with recommendations for both CentreVenture Development Corporation and its shareholder, the City of Winnipeg.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf [137-144]).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / "Workshop report." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-130).

Thesis (M. Hous. M.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 68-71).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 150-155).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-99).