Planning a Prosperous Sydney: The challenges of planning urban development in the new urban context

Since their post-war inception, Sydney's metropolitan plans have tended to be overtaken by the social, economic and environmental conditions they have had to confront. The depth and scope of Sydney's recent urban transformation threatens again to overtake metropolitan planning capacity creating, in the context of competitive globalisation, a potentially significant market disadvantage for the city, not to mention poor urban development outcomes. This paper reviews Sydney's post-war metropolitan planning strategies, examining the social and economic contexts and the policy paradigms in which they have been framed, in order to draw out the lessons to be learned from their successes and failures. We argue that future success in planning urban development will rely on richly informed and fine-grained understanding of the complex spatial outcomes of Sydney's ever-deeper global integration. Only such fine-grained understanding can empower metropolitan planning to be responsive to the evolving challenges of managing development in the contemporary urban context.     

Equity Issues in the 'New Prosperity' of the 1990s: The case of Sydney

Equity issues associated with Sydney's engagement with prosperity, especially over the last decade, are examined. Sydney is positioned within the historic contexts of major national economic change and of globalisation, noting especially the rise in importance of the financial, property and business services sectors. These sectors are concentred in inner Sydney and have helped position Sydney as Australia's leading global city, thereby generating jobs and growth in incomes. At the same time, however, there have been major shifts in patterns of income distribution across the Sydney metropolitan area and between Sydney and other parts of Australia. In particular, we note the 'revitalisation' of Sydney's inner-urban areas and their association with new forms of Central Business District (CBD) workforce growth and a significant realignment of journey-to-work patterns. Using Australian Taxation Office income data, the dynamics and some of the equity outcomes of 1990s prosperity within the Sydney metropolitan area are examined, paying particular attention to the impact of change in and around the Sydney CBD and the City of Sydney local government area. We find that there has been a complex shift in the nature of inequality across the Sydney metropolitan area, including a widening in incomes in some instances and a major geographic shift in Sydney's income-divide axis. The paper concludes by arguing that ongoing economic prosperity in Sydney will depend on the extent to which social cleavage can be avoided by a more equitable sharing of the benefits of prosperity.     

The differential geography of housing affordability in Sydney: a disaggregated approach

ABSTRACT

Despite extensive studies being devoted to housing affordability in Australia, few have investigated housing affordability at a disaggregated level. This is in spite of the fact that there are existing socio-economic and demographic disparities across different regions of a city. This study aims to fill this gap by examining housing affordability in Sydney, a city that is characterised by diverse demographic and socio-economic mix, from a sub-city perspective. Two dimensions of affordability are assessed from 1991 to 2016: entry-level and ongoing housing affordability. The study finds that entry-level housing remains extremely unaffordable in all regions of Greater Sydney, although the level of unaffordability varies across regions. Specifically, the deterioration in housing affordability is more obvious in low-income regions such as Western Sydney. In addition, the ongoing housing affordability of those who have entered the market improves considerably within 5–10 years, although there are significant variations between different regions. Importantly, residents in low-income regions such as Western Sydney take a longer period to improve their ongoing affordability. The findings of differential geography of housing affordability have some profound policy implications. Policymakers should consider the disparities across different regions by formulating a more targeted and regionally balanced housing policy.     

Amplifying (or Reversing) the Territorial Disparities in Land Vulnerability to Soil Degradation: The Case of Italy

This article analyzes the territorial disparities in the level of land vulnerability (TDLV) to soil degradation caused by five processes (soil erosion, salinization, sealing, contamination, and compaction) as well as by climate variations in Italy in 1990 and 2000. The analysis reveals, for each soil degradation process, a typical spatial distribution across Italy. Three processes (soil salinization, compaction, and sealing) contribute significantly to the increase in land vulnerability, which is mainly concentrated in risky areas. The observed disparities highlight a growing environmental divide between northern Italy (an economically developed region, not at risk of desertification) and southern Italy and the two main islands (dry, disadvantaged regions at risk of desertification). The knowledge of such a territorial divide and of the underlying soil degradation processes is regarded as important for environmental policies at the country and regional scales aimed at sustaining the economic and socioenvironmental cohesion between areas that are either vulnerable or nonvulnerable to soil degradation. The proposed approach should be seen as part of a decision-making tool informing policies and supporting the design of management solutions, hopefully reversing disparities in land vulnerability to soil degradation.     

Prosperity along Australia's Eastern Seaboard: Sydney and the geopolitics of urban and economic change

Throughout the last decade, the Australian economy has experienced its second longest period of uninterrupted prosperity in recorded history. The paper argues that this prosperity is sourced from an extraordinary surge in finance-based economic activity along Australia's eastern seaboard, especially in the Sydney region. Population growth in the Sydney basin has further fuelled the region's economic growth. The spatialised nature of this prosperity has produced a major shift in distributional outcomes across Australian regions and among households. Sydney-based households, especially those in inner 'global Sydney' neighbourhoods, have had access to high rates of job creation and sustained increases in income and house values. On the other hand, non-metropolitan households away from Sydney--those in regional and rural Australia--have experienced largely negative consequences as historical inter-sectoral and spatial redistribution mechanisms have been dismantled. The paper shows how divergent experiences of the new prosperity have produced an unstable political landscape in regional and rural Australia. It concludes by urging further research into the spatialised nature of economic changes in Australia, especially research that is conscious of distributional flows and outcomes.     

内蒙古县域经济空间格局演化研究

采用ESDA的方法,运用ArcGIS10.0和GeoDa095i软件,选取1980年、1990年、2000年和2010年4个时间断面分析了自改革开放以来内蒙古县域经济空间格局演化的过程。结果表明：① 改革开放以来,内蒙古县域经济空间格局和经济增长空间格局都发生了巨大的变化,其热点区都由蒙东地区跃迁到蒙中和蒙西地区,蒙中“金三角”地区代替蒙东成为内蒙古经济发展的增长极,蒙东地区则变为经济冷点区。② 县域经济空间格局和经济增长空间格局都有明显的空间自相关性,且经济空间格局的空间自相关性越来越大。③ 内蒙古县域经济形成了经济水平相似（热点区、冷点区）的集中连片区,内蒙古东 、中、西部的经济差异越来越大。影响内蒙古县域经济空间格局演化的因素可以可分资源、历史文化、区位等内部基础性因素,以及市场、政策等外部驱动型因素。     

基于工业结构特征的中国地区能源消费强度差异分析

本文从工业结构演变的角度分析地区能源消费强度差异,利用工业特征偏向指数对地区能源消费强度与工业结构之间的关系进行了定量分析,并通过建立地区能源消费强度影响因素的回归分析模型,重点考察了近几年中国地区工业结构能源消耗特征演变对地区能源消费强度差异的影响。研究表明,近几年来中国工业结构能耗特征的变化,对地区能源消费强度差异有重要影响。在中西部地区发挥资源和成本优势、大规模承接东部沿海地区产业转移的过程中,呈现出中西部地区工业结构高耗能化、东部地区工业结构低耗能化的演进态势,而高耗能的工业结构决定了较高的能源消费强度。政府在制定节能减排政策、进行节能目标分解时,要正确认识中西部地区工业结构演变的客观规律与发展阶段,根据各地区能源消费强度的变化特点,制定有区别的区域节能目标和政策措施。     

基于ESDA的区域经济空间差异分析——以江苏省为例

基于ESDA全局和局部空间自相关分析,利用江苏省1978～2002年县域人均GDP数据,对江苏省县域总体和局部空间差异的变化趋势、特征与成因进行了初步探索。结果首先表明,随着我国改革开放进程的逐步深化,江苏省县域经济空间差异在总体上呈现缩小趋势。其次,江苏省县域局部空间差异不断缩小,特别是苏南和苏北县域,表现出与周边地区同步发展态势。再者,苏南地区对全省的极化效应明显大于其扩散效应。大致自1992年以来,苏南和苏北地区内部分别形成了与周边地区显著相似的区域。最后,江苏省县域总体和局部空间差异的缩小并不是全省区域经济协调发展的标志,而是南北空间分异的表现。在循环累积因果机制作用下,南北差异有可能进一步扩大。     

和田地区人口与经济发展时空演变与分布差异研究

以和田地区七县一市作为研究基本单元,根据1995-2014 年人口、GDP和人均GDP面板数据分析了其人口与经济发展演变特征,通过人口经济一致性指数、偏离度指数和Pearson 相关系数探讨了和田地区人口经济分布的差异性,研究发现：近20 a 来和田地区人口和经济快速增长,各县市人口数量和经济发展差异很大;人口集聚与经济集聚水平差异较大并呈现扩大趋势,总体上东部地区人口集聚低于经济集聚,中部地区人口经济集聚基本一致,西部地区人口集聚高于经济集聚;人口分布与经济发展空间一致性总体呈变弱的趋势,人口经济分布差异的变大与地区经济差距的变大有非常高的相关性;地区的自然环境条件和社会经济发展条件是造成和田人口和经济分布差异性的主要原因。     

中国收费公路基础设施与财务状况的空间格局

收费公路是公路网系统的重要组成部分,为中国高等级公路（尤其是高速公路）的快速发展起到了重要的作用。自20 世纪80 年代初以来,我国收费公路发展经历了三个阶段：起步探索阶段（1981-1997 年）、快速发展阶段（1998-2003 年）以及规范治理阶段（2004 年以来）。国际比较研究显示,人口、经济总量和国土面积会影响收费公路的规模,而中国收费公路的发展明显偏离了当前的经济发展水平,存在路网规模过大、空间布局不合理的问题。总体上,中国收费公路在空间格局上具有显著的反U型结构--东、西部地区收费公路规模均高于中部地区,且西部地区高于东部地区,与中国东中西地区依次递减的梯度经济格局不协调。收费公路财务指标的投资、收入和支出具有U型空间结构,与经济发展的区域格局不一致;但单位公里的收益水平呈现梯型结构,与中国经济发展的区域格局大体吻合;投资回收期表明中国收费公路总体具有可行的盈利水平,但省级区域差异较大。     

Policy Boosterism,Policy Mobilities,and the Extrospective City

Abstract

This study develops the notion of “policy boosterism,” a subset of traditional branding and marketing activities that involves the active promotion of locally developed and/or locally successful policies, programs, or practices across wider geographical fields as well as to broader communities of interested peers. It is argued that policy boosterism is (1) an important element of how urban policy actors engage with global communities of professional peers and with local residents, and (2) a useful concept with which to interrogate and understand how policies and policy knowledge are mobilized among cities. A conceptualization of policy boosterism and its role in global-urban policymaking is developed by combining insights from the burgeoning “policy mobilities” literature with those of the longstanding literature on entrepreneurial city marketing. It is supported by illustrative examples of policy boosterism in Vancouver: the city's Greenest City and Green Capital initiatives, the use of the term “Vancouverism” among the city's urban design community, and demonstrations of new urban technologies during the 2010 Winter Olympics that were used to market a particular vision of the city's governance to people from elsewhere, but also—crucially—to local audiences. The article concludes by highlighting four foci that might frame future work at the intersections of policy boosterism and policy mobilities.     

Prospects of multifunctional agriculture as a facilitator of sustainable rural development: Swedish experience of Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Agriculture remains one of the dominant activities in rural areas across the European Union (EU), not least in respect of land use and its impact on landscapes. The Agenda 2000 reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced rural development as an integrated part of agricultural policy. The present study focuses on the second pillar of CAP. Multifunctional farming, more than any other rural activity, has a role to play in integrating the natural environment with the cultural landscape and socio-economic development. The question of how multifunctional agriculture can facilitate sustainable rural development is addressed in terms of mechanisms and inherent possibilities. Results from a case study in Östergötland in Sweden are discussed in relation to five other European case studies. Some main findings are that Pillar 2 has made it possible for rural inhabitants to continue living in rural areas and that the policies are effective in identifying and supporting new opportunities for farm diversification. The traditional agricultural landscape can be seen as a key component in various diversification activities in rural areas, contributing to economic as well as social and environmental sustainability.     

新疆区域经济空间分异的微观机制与测度分析——基于新经济地理学的视角

借鉴新经济地理学的基本框架,从人口与产业集聚匹配性的视角分析了新疆地区差距形成的微观机制,通过引入内含空间因素的测度指标,对新疆地区差距现状及其演进趋势进行了分析。研究发现：新疆地区差距是集聚机制作用下人口与产业（进而产出）集聚不匹配的结果,在此机制作用下,新疆地区差距呈现明显的梯度特征,各梯度之间差距明显,其中第一梯度和第四梯度地区人口与产业集聚的不匹配是新疆地区发展失衡的主要动因。为缩小地区发展差距,未来新疆政策设计的基本思路是立足其特殊区情,先“动钱”、再“动人”,通过集聚经济的发展和劳动力的自由流动逐步实现区域间协调发展。     

改革开放以来广东省利用外资的时空差异特征

本文阐述了改革开放以来广东省利用外资的时空差异特征，结合国际内国政治经济形势将广东省利用外资的过程划分为５个阶段，并分析各阶段的主要特点，借助于定量分析方法考察外资在广东的地域分布特征及其形成原因，研究表明，改革开放以来广东省利用外资的不稳定增长过程和明显地域差异是省内各区投资环境的地域差异和国家外资政策综合作用的结果。最后，对广东省的经济发展和利用外资工作提出了建议。     

云南省地域主体功能区划分实践及反思

以云南省主体功能区划分为研究命题,探讨边疆高原山地省份的主体功能区划实践的难题与解决方法,以期为主体功能区划提供理论指导与管理决策参考。研究发现：对于“然环境空间分异显著、人口集聚与经济发展基础差异明显、交通主导经济格局和面临民族与边疆地缘政治复杂情境的省域,主体功能区划分过程以县域为分析评价单元,以主导因素综合指数法...     

中国异地投资网络结构演化及影响因素研究

随着城市间经济联系日益密切,资本跨区域流动逐渐成为影响区域发展的关键因素,企业异地投资是资本流动的微观体现,探讨企业异地投资特征对于区域发展具有重要意义.为此,论文以1998-2018年中国上市企业异地投资数据为研究对象,构建中国异地投资网络,从全国和东中西3大地区角度分析异地投资网络的空间演化特征及影响因素.研究发现...     

基于地理探测器的国家级经济技术开发区经济增长率空间分异及影响因素

建设国家级经济技术开发区（经开区）是中国扩大对外开放和促进区域发展的重要政策。历经30年多发展,国家级经开区已遍布全国,其个体间的发展差异也由于不同的动力机制而日趋显著。认识和探讨国家级经开区经济增长率的空间分异及其核心影响因素,对因地制宜制定发展策略、引导开发区高效发展具有重要意义。运用变异系数和地理探测器方法,分析2010年国家级经开区经济增长率的空间分异,并探测了其核心影响因素。结果表明：① 总体上,国家级经开区经济增长率在东中西三大区差异显著,呈现出高低高的U型格局;② 个体上,国家级经开区经济增长率在三大区内部存在不同分异特征,其中西部分异度最大、东部次之、中部最小;③ 探测因子决定力显示,主导三大地区国家级经开区经济增长率的核心要素明显不同;在所选出的5大核心影响因素中,中西东三大区呈现出由开发区内在因子主导向城市和区域性外在因子主导的转变趋势;④ 国家级经开区经济增长率及核心影响因素在三大区间的分异特征,一定程度上反映了开发区生命周期阶段性的演变规律。由此建议：近期内,中西部国家级经开区仍应聚焦于改进其自身发展要素;而从长远看,城市性和区域性的外部因子对经开区的影响将变得日益重要,亦即是经开区的未来发展将越来越依赖于与其所在城市和区域的有效融合。     

THE URBAN LABOR MARKET IN MEXICO: GLOBAL CHANGE,INFORMALITY, AND SOCIAL POLARIZATION

In this study I argue that Mexico's integration into the global economy has increased the dependent nature of its capitalist development and has resulted in the weakening of organized labor and growth of the informal sector. Neoliberal policies in Mexico have accentuated the disparities between the formal and informal sectors and between highly paid skilled workers and those working in unskilled and poorly paid occupations. New forms of geographic dispersion and agglomeration of economic activities contribute to the reproduction of differentiated labor markets in various regions and cities. This is particularly true in those areas most affected by the global economy, such as the major metropolitan areas and the northern regions of the country.

The main changes in the urban labor market associated with economic restructuring in Mexico during the 1980s are analyzed. The paper makes three main points: (1) the ability of the formal sector and especially industry to absorb labor has declined, and there is a clear trend toward a tertiarization of the economy; (2) the informal sector has experienced rapid growth, particularly in small firms and other less productive economic activities; and (3) the occupational structure displays more marginal employment and signs of polarization between the proportions of jobs with the highest and lowest levels of skill.     

Local Uniqueness in the Global Village: Heritage Tourism in Singapore

It is commonly assumed that the development of tourist attractions, the formulation of tourism policies, and the marketing of destination areas are dictated by the needs and interests of foreign visitors. What is ignored is the role that local factors and agencies play in these processes. This paper explores the way local and non-local factors are responsible for shaping the form and function of tourism development. Drawing upon the case of Singapore, I examine the country's heritage tourism phenomenon as the outcome of “local” and “global” forces. This argument is elaborated along three lines of enquiry. They include: (a) a study of the government's tourism policies; (b) an examination of marketing and promotional strategies; and (c) a look at a particular urban landscape—the Little India Historic District. To conceptualize the global-local nexus, the paper embraces two bodies of theory. They are the “locality concept” advanced by industrial geographers in the 1980s, and writings on “globalism/localism” by cultural/economic geographers in the 1990s. Both theoretical discussions reinforce the argument that place uniqueness need not be sacrificed as a result of globalization. They also provide a way of viewing tourism geographies as the product of global and local forces.     

基于ESDA的西北地区公路网分布空间差异分析

利用探索式空间数据分析（ESDA）方法分析了2004-2010年西北地区市域尺度的公路网空间分布差异及其变化特征,并结合定性分析和空间计量模型探讨了公路分布差异的驱动机制。结果表明:（1）西北地区公路网空间分布具有显著的全局正相关关系,存在明显的集聚特征,公路网空间差异趋势愈加明显,公路网集聚模式发生明显变化的区域集中在陕甘宁交界地带,“陕南-关中-陇东-青东”地区形成公路网“高-高”集聚类型分布的连绵区域,“低-低”集聚类型区域分布在河西走廊、新疆、青海地区;（2）公路网密度水平高于全国平均水平的区域规模数量呈增长态势,其中“西安-兰州-西宁”地区的公路网密度水平高于全国平均水平,该地区已形成具备向外扩张能力的交通带;（3）自然环境状况是约束公路交通基础设施建设运营的基本条件,而区域经济的非均衡发展格局及其空间溢出效应是形成公路网分布差异的重要驱动力。