At Constitutional level, legislation in South Africa entrenches the provision of food and water for all its citizens. In instances where citizens are unable to provide in these basic requirements for themselves, social assistance should be provided to ensure a healthy life for all. In this regard, legislation and Town Planning ordinances and regulations are in place to ensure that built-up environments in which we live and work are healthy and safe for all. However, this study revealed that food provisioning by community gardeners is peripheral in legislation, ordinances and regulations and the practice of urban agriculture is, in many instances, in conflict with the principle of safe and healthy food for all. Community gardeners/urban agriculturists are food farmers within the city who produce food for themselves and others without the checks and balances that are otherwise applicable to food brought into the city from outside. While food production on any piece of available land is vital for these community gardeners for their sustenance and survival, it could become a potential health hazard if no checks or testing measures are in place to ensure that the food being produced is safe for human consumption. The study sought the views and perceptions of community gardeners, residents, Environmental Health Practitioners and Town Planners in the eThekwini Metro region with regards to community gardening/urban agriculture and its impact on food provisioning to citizens. For data collection, a one-on-one interviewing survey method was used with all four groups and results were calculated and converted to average percentages and analysed. The results revealed that there was conflict between legislation, ordinances and regulations regarding the production of food in the built-up environment of the EThekwini Municipality. It was also revealed that there was no cohesive policy to control the production of food produced and sold by community gardeners in the study area. The need for control measures and regulations regarding food production and sale by community gardeners was highlighted. Moreover, where ineffective or none such measures or controls exist, a transparent and consultative process involving all stakeholders must take place in order to establish up viable and sustainable control measures. The people who will be most affected by these rules, namely the community gardeners, should be pivotal role players in the establishment of a sustainable urban agriculture policy. Recommendations to address the problems illuminated by the study are presented. / Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Management)

År 2018 ska betydelsen av biologisk mångfald och värdet av ekosystemtjänster vara allmänt kända och integreras i ekonomiska ställningstaganden, politiska avväganden och andra beslut i samhället där så är relevant och skäligt. Så lyder ett av etappmålet som beslutades av regeringen år 2012. Idag vet vi att endast delar av målet kommer kunna nås. Denna studie omfattar en kartläggning av begreppet ekosystemtjänst i Sveriges samtliga översiktsplaner och fördjupade översiktsplaner. Vidare har en granskning av tre bostadsbyggnadsprojekt i Stockholms län genomförts, där ekosystemtjänster i planeringen från översiktsplan till genomförande varit fokuspunkt. Av studiens första del, kartläggning av begreppet, framgick det att 116 av 290 kommuner har använt begreppet ekosystemtjänst i sin översiktsplan. De senaste tre åren är det totalt fler antagna översiktsplaner där begreppet behandlas än utan. I studiens andra del granskades översiktsplaner, planhandlingar och genomförandeavtal från projekt i Täby, Nacka och Haninge kommun. Granskningen är baserad på textanalys och platsbesök, resultatet visade att kommunerna har en hög ambition gällande arbetet med ekosystemtjänster. Det finns samband mellan visioner i översiktsplan och bestämmelser i detaljplan. I avtalen för genomförandet av detaljplanerna binds exploatörerna till att arbeta efter gestaltningsprogram och hållbarhetsprogram vilka reglerar hänsynstagandet av ekosystemtjänster. Begreppet ekosystemtjänst används för att visa den nytta människan får från naturens arbete. Vi är beroende av att ekosystemen fortsätter producera tjänster, de är livsviktiga för vår folkhälsa och vårt välbefinnande. Ett gemensamt arbete och hänsynsfullt nyttjande behövs för att säkerställa ekosystemtjänsterna. Det kan resultera i stora samhällsvinster att bevara, utveckla och nyskapa tätortsnära natur och grönområden. Att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den fysiska planeringen är ett steg på vägen. Översiktsplaneringen visar inriktningen för kommunens samhällsplanering och konturerna av den framtida fysiska strukturen, den vägleder kommande detaljplaner och bygglov. Översiktsplanen spelar en nyckelroll för ekosystemtjänsternas framtid eftersom det där finns stora möjligheter att belysa deras mycket betydelsefulla värde. För att uppnå visionerna i översiktsplaneringen krävs möjlighet att förverkliga dessa i detaljplanen. För att säkra ekosystemtjänsternas producerande förmåga krävs en tydlig och ändamålsenlig lagstiftning. Kunskapen och medvetenheten om dess livsviktiga förmåga måste öka. Alla måste se sin del i det gemensamma ansvaret och arbeta för ett hållbart samhälle. / In 2018 the meaning of biodiversity and the value of ecosystem services should be general knowledge and integrated into economical standpoints, political considerations and other decisions where relevant and reasonable. This is one of the milestone targets that the Swedish government decided in 2012. We know today that only parts of this target will be reached. This study includes a survey regarding the concept of ecosystem service in Sweden, all the local authority comprehensive planning, and an examination of three housing projects in Stockholm’s county where ecosystem services were the focal point during the comprehensive planning. In the first part of the study, which concentrates on surveying the concept of ecosystem services, it can be shown that 116 of 290 municipalities have been using the concept in their local authority comprehensive planning. Furthermore, the concept is used more often than not during the last three years in local authority comprehensive planning. In the second part of the study the outline planning was examined, plan handlings and implementation contracts from projects in Täby, Nacka and Haninge municipality. The research was based on text analysis and on-site inspection. The results from the research showed that the municipalities have a high ambition regarding working with ecosystem services, and that there exist a correlation between the visions in the local authority comprehensive planning and regulations in the detailed developed plan. In the agreement the developers are bound to work according to implementation contracts and sustainability program which regulate the considerations of ecosystem services. The concept of ecosystem services is used to show which benefits we humans receive from nature’s work. We are dependent on continual ecosystem services, which are also essential to the public health and wellbeing. Joint effort and a considerate use of ecosystem services is needed to keep them intact. It can result in large profit for society to preserve, develop and recreate nature and green areas in population centers. To integrate ecosystem services in the physical planning is a step in the right direction. The local authority comprehensive planning show the direction for the municipality’s community planning, and the outline of the future physical structure, it also serves to guide upcoming detailed development plans and building acts. The local authority comprehensive planning plays a key part in the ecosystem services future, since its importance can be illustrated within. To reach the visions of the local authority comprehensive planning and the opportunity to actualize it in the detailed development plan is required. To secure the continued functionality of the ecosystem services, a clear and purposive legislation is required. An increase in knowledge and awareness of ecosystem services is essential, and everyone must see their part in the in our common responsibility and work toward a sustainable society.

Local authorities in South Africa need to compile and implement local economic development plans. These plans are not only required by law as a component of integrated development plans, but also emanate from the pressing needs of many communities for development, job creation, and greater welfare and prosperity. A review of the historical and theoretical background reveals changing approaches and different theories to defend the actions taken. A critique of typical strategies and processes reveals that no one strategy or process can be universally applied, but that these should be adapted to the community's unique circumstances. Shortcomings and appropriate applications are indicated. The management plan presents a process to enable local authorities in partnership with the community to compile a plan for locally generated and directed development. This plan can, but need not, be a component of an integrated development plan and is thus compatible with integrated development planning and the formulation of local development objectives. The plan draws on a number of planning methodologies including urban planning, city marketing, strategic planning and neuro-linguistic programming approaches. Techniques from these and community development methodologies are included to guide the community through the process of creating a vision, analysis, goal setting, plan and strategy formulation, implementation and review. This management plan is designed as a generic process that can be applied to a variety of circumstances. The flexible nature of the process permits innovation and adaptations to local needs and other fields of planning. It also provides scope for further research on theories, methodologies and techniques. / Geography / D.Phil. (Geography)

Face à l’échec des fusions volontaires de communes en France, il a été choisi d’encourager massivement leur regroupement à partir de 1999, grâce à la formule déjà ancienne des établissements publics de coopération intercommunale à fiscalité propre. En une quinzaine d’année, l’évolution du cadre juridique et des pratiques de terrain ont permis l’émergence d’un bloc communal à deux niveaux. L’organisation administrative actuelle de ces structures témoigne de la volonté de faire coïncider, à l’échelle intercommunale, bassin de vie et circonscription administrative, afin de constituer de véritables « territoires ». Au cours de la dernière décennie, la possibilité de mutualiser les moyens au sein de chaque bloc communal a également été reconnue par le droit positif. Toutefois, l’analyse des pratiques démontre que cet objectif de complémentarité entre les communes et leur groupement d’appartenance se révèle insuffisant au regard des enjeux actuels, tant démocratiques que financiers. / The failure of voluntary groupings of communes in France has been an incentive to massively promote these groupings since 1999 throughout the longstanding formula of intermunicipal groupings with its own taxing power. In fifteen years, the evolution of the legal framework and local practices have enabled the emergence of a two-tier intermunicipal system. The current administrative organization of these structures displays the will to match the living area with the territorial administrative unit at the scale of the intermunicipal boundaries, in order to create genuine « territories ». During the last decade, the scope and effect to pool resources within the two-tier municipal units have also been recognized by positive law. However, the analysis of local practices shows that this objective of complementarity between the communes and their groupings proves insufficient in view of the current challenges, both democratic and financial.

Ce travail de recherche s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une thèse CIFRE et vise à comprendre les ressorts de légitimation et les stratégies communicationnelles sur la coopération décentralisée que peut mobiliser la région aquitaine afin de l’aider à favoriser un dialogue constructif entre l’institution publique, ses représentants politiques et les citoyens aquitains / This research, part of a CIFRE PhD program, aims to understand the ways of legitimation and communication strategies on decentralized cooperation that can mobilize the aquitaine region in order to help it to promote a cooperative dialogue between the institution public, political representatives and citizens of Aquitaine.

The aim of this thesis is to elaborate a project documentation of the building construction. This project deals with two new buildings of civic facilities allocated in the centre of Brodek u Konice on an almost flat plot. These two buildings are adjoining; however, statically and operationally independent on each other. In the building SO 01 are located a library and a sweet-shop and the building SO 02 is designed for the local authority. The building containing library is projected as a two-storeys building; while, the building for local authority has only a ground floor. Both buildings are without any basement and they are roofed by wooden trusses. The library building has a hip roof and the local authority building has a hip roof on the east side and a gable on the west side. A floor plan of the library building has rectangular shape; while, building for local authority is almost square shaped. Support structures for both buildings consist of masonry of therm type brick blocks and pre-stressed celling slabs. The library is divided to the public area with a hygienic facility for visitors and an area accessible only for employees with hygienic and technical facilities. The 1st floor of the library building is fully accessible for visitors and they can also use a balcony, a terrace or a grassy area which is approachable from the terrace. The local authority building has only the ground floor containing offices, a conference room, hygienic and technical facilities designed for employees and hygienic facility for visitors. Paved areas for parking and a main entrance will be accessible from main road in the municipality.

The master thesis focuses on problems connected with the life cycle cost of property owned by the city. It analyses general issues of the life cycle cost of construction, but it mainly analyses the ways in which local authorities manage their properties and their cost. Those methods are applied in a case study, that addresses the cost and management of swimming pool sites which are owned by the city Brno.

The Regulation of Gatherings Act 205 of 1993 is a old order piece of legislation, but gives full recognition to the right to freedom of assembly and expression. These rights are entrenched in sections 16 and 17 of the Bill of Rights and enjoy a generous interpretation. Section 5 of the Act creates limitations on these rights, as the responsible officer of a local authority is allowed to prohibit a gathering when he has reasonable grounds to believe that the police will not be able to prevent traffic disruption, injury or substantial damage to property. Given the fact that this limitation serves to protect a compelling state interest, it constitutes a reasonable and justifiable limitation in terms of section section 36 of the Bill of Rights. / Law / LL.M.

In this thesis I offer a brief overview of the current legislative, regulatory and treaty frameworks impacting emergency management in British Columbia, with a particular emphasis on Crown-identified First Nation roles. I show that the regime overwhelmingly positions non-First Nation governments, contractors and other organizations to manage emergencies on behalf of First Nations. I explore emergency management as a manifold process that includes protracted planning, mitigation and recovery phases, which, unlike emergency response, are carried out with lower levels of urgency. I consider Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 (s. 35) Aboriginal rights in light of the lack of statutorily prescribed inclusion of First Nations in off-reserve emergency management, particularly at the planning, mitigation and recovery phases concluding that the jurisprudence to date (including the duty to consult and Aboriginal title) does not appear to have revolutionized the regime. While the constitutional status of Aboriginal rights should operate to insure adequate First Nation direction in each stage of emergency management, the regime continues to restrictively prioritize other constitutional priorities, such as division of powers and civil liberties. To better understand the omission, I theorize the lack of Crown implementation of s. 35 Aboriginal rights generally as an ‘obligation gap’, highlighting how an analysis of s. 35 Aboriginal rights as ‘negative rights’ fails to compel implementation of the full scope of Crown obligations implicit within the jurisprudence to date. I then offer a new framework for s. 35 as justiciable ‘recognition rights’ and juxtapose ‘recognition rights’ with the idea of justiciability of government inaction through a brief comparative analysis of socioeconomic rights in South Africa’s constitution and Canada’s constitutional Aboriginal rights. With a decided emphasis on the obligations of the Crown, this thesis attempts to offer fodder to First Nations and legal practitioners seeking to challenge the emergency management landscape where First Nations seek an enhanced role in protecting and restoring their respective territories in anticipation of, and in the wake of, disaster. For convenience and clarity, contemporary geographical and jurisdictional references to the areas now known as Canada and British Columbia are used throughout the thesis without intention to detract from the integrity of First Nation claims to their traditional and ancestral territories.

The overall purpose of this thesis is to gain further knowledge of how the Swedish local government level is affected by requirements to use public procurement through competitive tendering and, more specifically, understand the actions taken by included actors when public procurement is required in implementation of public transport goals. Through case study method, an in specific process tracing, various implementation processes have been examined. One studied process complied with the procurement regulations, while the others included elements that circumvented them. In each process, the actions taken by involved actors have been the focus. The findings are presented in four papers. An overall conclusion is that, when public procurement is required in implementation at the local government level, several actors need to interact. These actors may use procurement to expand, maintain, or restrain their discretion towards others actors. In addition, various control mechanisms, such as e.g. monitoring, are used to restrain an actor’s discretion when the actor is circumventing procurement legislation. / Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att öka kunskapen om hur den lokala nivån i Sverige är påverkad av kravet på att använda offentlig upphandling, och mer specifikt att förstå de handlingar som olika aktörer vidtar vid implementering av kollektivtrafik mål, då konkurrensutsatt upphandling är ett krav. Genom fallstudie metod har olika implementeringsprocesser undersökts. I en process har upphandlingsreglerna följts, medan i de andra har upphandlingslagen kringgåtts. Resultaten har analyserats utifrån principal-agent teori och presenteras i form av fyra artiklar. I studien konstateras det att flera aktörer är beroende av varandra i implementeringen. Aktörerna kan använda upphandling för att både behålla och expandera sitt handlingsutrymme gentemot andra aktörer, men upphandling kan även vara begränsande. I studien diskuteras även olika kontrollmekanismer som användas då aktörer kringgår upphandlingslagstiftningen.