Search Results (38)

This article focuses on two dimensions of social sustainability in contemporary cities: (1) social participation as a form of communication between residents and city authorities and (2) urban inclusivity. The assessment of these dimensions was conducted on a representative sample of 1863 residents from 19 Polish cities, seeking to answer the following research question: How do residents assess two key dimensions of social sustainability: social participation and urban inclusivity? The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. The findings indicate that social participation in the studied cities is not fully developed. Respondents positively evaluate the idea of participatory budgets but are not satisfied with the cooperation between city authorities and residents, or with the possibilities for controlling local government actions. In terms of urban inclusivity, residents perceive themselves as quite open to diversity, but critically assess the city authorities’ efforts to counteract social exclusion. The research also shows that despite similar regional conditions, the social sustainability varies considerably, which highlights the importance of local policy in creating fully sustainable Smart Cities. The findings advance Smart City theory through practical social sustainability assessment and identification of improvement areas. This diagnosis provides insights for municipal authorities and offers guidance for policymakers developing legislation to foster social sustainability, strengthen civic participation, and combat urban exclusion. Full article

Improving the supply of rural public goods serves as a driving engine for rural revitalization and provides fundamental assurance for achieving self-sustained development in rural areas. This study examines how China’s supervision down to the countryside (SDC) policy affects village-level public expenditure, addressing broader debates on grassroots governance reforms. Using 2005–2019 panel data from 100 villages across five provinces, we employ a multi-period staggered difference-in-differences (DID) design to identify causal effects. Empirical results indicate that SDC implementation significantly reduced overall village public spending and investment in new public goods, primarily driven by enhanced budget constraints. Case analysis reveals that this occurs through procedural formalization and participatory oversight. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect is more pronounced in villages with weaker clan influence, lower economic development, and absence of factional competition. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence for the perspective in village power supervision theory that “top-down, external, institutional supervision requires clearly defined boundaries” and provides a reference for policies aimed at promoting the sustainable development of rural governance. Full article

This article presents a spatial analysis of projects selected by city residents and implemented in five successive editions (2015–2019) of the participatory budgeting in Częstochowa, Poland. The study examines the relationship between the type of hard projects (small investments in public infrastructure and landscaping) and the pre-existing characteristics of the land use of each district. Kernel density estimation and Spearman correlation analysis were used. The highest spatial density occurred in projects related to the modernization of roads and sidewalks, recreation, and greenery, indicating a relatively high number of proposals within or near residential areas. Key correlations included the following: (1) greenery projects were more common in districts lacking green areas; (2) recreational infrastructure was more frequently chosen in areas with significant water features; (3) street furniture projects were mostly selected in districts with sparse development, scattered buildings, and postindustrial sites; (4) educational infrastructure was often chosen in low-density, but developing districts. The selected projects often reflect local deficits in specific land use or public infrastructure, but also stress the predestination of the recreational use of waterside areas. Full article

In 2023, Brazil regained momentum in proposing innovative participatory institutions by launching a complex participatory experiment for budget planning within its “Multiannual Plan” (PPA). While this was not a scaled-up version of the local participatory budgeting plan that emerged decades earlier, its launch did reopen the debate on the possibilities of expanding political participation. The challenge was significant due to the intricate nature of budget planning and the complexity of the plan’s participatory design. This paper examines that experience by outlining the institutional design of the PPA Participativo and analyzing its results in terms of online participation. It also discusses the prominence of climate-related proposals, suggesting that the PPA Participativo serves as a relevant indicator of national concerns regarding climate-based issues. Building on previous experiences, the PPA Participativo is a strategy consisting of three layers: an online platform for digital participation, state-level meetings with civil society activists, and a high-level forum composed of members from national councils. This paper analyses some of the results from the online platform, which recorded 4 million visits from 1.5 million individual participants. These citizens were invited to submit proposals, vote for up to three proposals, and choose from a set of pre-designed government programs. The main concerns that emerged from this open-ended process included corporate demands, stemming from highly organized sectors, such as public health and education employees. However, animal rights also ranked among the most-voted proposals. The program of the Ministry of the Environment on climate change reached the top position in this segment, largely due to its strong campaigning strategy. This paper discusses these outcomes, drawing on evidence of both societal engagement and institutional activism to promote specific agendas. Full article

In this paper, we investigate whether greedy algorithms, traditionally used for pedestrian-based crowdsensing, remain effective in the context of vehicular crowdsensing (VCS). Vehicular crowdsensing leverages vehicles equipped with sensors to gather and transmit data to address several urban challenges. Despite its potential, VCS faces issues with user engagement due to inadequate incentives and privacy concerns. In this paper, we use a dynamic incentive mechanism based on a recurrent reverse auction model, incorporating vehicular mobility patterns and realistic urban scenarios using the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) traffic simulator and OpenStreetMap (OSM). By selecting a representative subset of vehicles based on their locations within a fixed budget, our mechanism aims to improve coverage and reduce data redundancy. We evaluate the applicability of successful participatory sensing approaches designed for pedestrian data and demonstrate their limitations when applied to VCS. This research provides insights into adapting greedy algorithms for the particular dynamics of vehicular crowdsensing. Full article

The high rate of depredation of forest resources causes major climatic changes that affect the economic activities and health of populations, plunging them into poverty and social problems. The state is responsible for dealing with these problems, because it has the technical, legal, and economic power to do so. This research aims to identify the factors that limit the design and formulation of public policies for the conservation of natural resources at the level of local district and provincial governments in Peru. For this study, we used qualitative methodology and non-probabilistic sampling, as well as techniques such as unstructured interviews, focus groups, and documentary review; moreover, for data analysis, we applied the theoretical saturation design in grounded theory. The results show that the conservation of natural resources is not positioned as a priority public policy in municipal administrations; furthermore, the organic units of natural resources suffer financial restrictions, and not because of a lack of budget availability, but because of a lack of will and decision-making capacity of authorities and civil servants, as well as a lack of coordination between the different national governments. It concludes that there are conflicts of interest in public policy making, with abuse of power and corruption predominating. Furthermore, the complexity of addressing sustainability criteria and the inability to confront the environmental crisis mean that international summits and national norms are attenuated in the face of the problems of environmental degradation. Deforestation should be considered a major public priority problem because of its environmental, economic, social, and health impacts. These problems require a holistic approach that combines local, national, and international policies and fosters effective and participatory governance. Full article

The process of seeking games as tools for participatory and collaborative approaches applied to planning and public engagement is thriving. Despite the growing literature, and in contrast to the increasing number of experiences, there is a lack of methods for developing game-based approaches. We propose using the MIQUAPA method to support low-tech and low-cost serious games for collaborative planning and participatory budgeting. We designed two serious games using modern board game mechanisms and tested them to address two sustainability problems related to a university campus. The games engaged the participants and delivered collaborative planning experiences. However, the experiences revealed several simulation limitations of this method. The participants’ preparedness, context, and motivation also affected the game outcome. This paper proposes a method to develop future game-based approaches, informing the advantages and limitations of such approaches and proposing data collection and facilitation solutions. It warns future practitioners about the required preparedness to use game-based approaches. Full article

There is a growing movement in Canada towards youth homelessness prevention. One such response, called shelter diversion aims to move young people into safe and supportive housing as quickly as possible. The objective of this project is to assess how, and in what ways, shelter diversion operates and whether this intervention permanently or temporarily diverts youth from homelessness. Our project is grounded in principles of community-based participatory research including community/university partnerships and an advisory committee of lived-experience experts. Our team is utilizing mixed methods to capture the outcomes of diversion programs. Data collection began in September 2022 and ended in May 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis is underway. Preliminary results show differences in how diversion is defined and implemented across organizations. There are also differences in staffing models and program budgets. The findings from this study will contribute to a recommendation for a national definition and adaptable program model for shelter diversion, easily accessible to support the expansion of diversion programs into youth-serving organizations across Canada. This study is the first in Canada to examine the effectiveness of shelter diversion as an early intervention strategy to prevent youth homelessness on a national scale. Full article

Since 2023, a new format of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been implemented in Europe. Market forces alone cannot guarantee land services, which can be described as flows of goods and services from ecosystems to human systems as functions of nature. Market forces also cannot ensure food security everywhere and at all times, so deliberate measures should incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and maintain necessary skills and resources. This study identifies, quantifies, and interprets four narratives that are typical in the approach to food security and the public debate about the land services in the CAP Strategic Plans: (A) provision of land services within the Pillar 1 economics; (B) small vs. large farms; (C) direct payments in comparison with rural development; and (D) choices by the old and new member states. Participatory processes, descriptive statistics, and partial component analysis were used in terms of the methodology. The key finding is that the importance attached to eco-schemes varies among member states, although a majority dedicate approximately 25% of the Pillar 1 budget to them. We showed that small-scale farming countries move resources from Pillar 2 to strengthen direct payments. In contrast, affluent countries with robust agricultural structures can afford to reinforce Pillar 2 rural development through transfers from direct payments. To support small-scale and medium farms, appropriate support requires a combination of several measures, including the sizable hectare payment in Pillar 1 and farmer-oriented agri-environmental measures. Full article

The need for urban societies to move continues to grow with the intensity of their various activities. One of the challenges in micromobility in cities based on bike, scooter, or public scooter systems is determining the potential yet realistic demand for such services. This article aims to present the level of demand for eco-friendly non-motorized transport systems and identify the motivations driving users of public transport to choose these eco-friendly Personal Mobility Devices (PMD). The authors propose a methodology based on the integration of four components: a case study, an analysis of participatory budget projects, a metadata analysis of bikesharing (BSS) in Szczecin, and a meta plan. They utilized a case study method and conducted a survey based on a custom questionnaire. An analysis of participatory budget projects and data from the operation of bikesharing in Szczecin was performed using statistical methods. Applying the heuristic tool meta plan, they outlined the directions for the development and support of bikesharing as an example of micromobility in Szczecin. The research identified connections between the socio-demographic structure of respondents and attributes of bike communication. This study highlighted periods of intensive system use and locations with the highest exploitation. It showed that the demand for BSS depends on weather conditions, traveler convenience, the density and coherence of bike infrastructure with important locations for residents, transfer connections, and safety. The presented research results can assist planners and authorities in Szczecin and other cities in expanding bikesharing. Full article

Most developing countries fail to provide waste collection services to all their citizens, which leads to many adverse effects. Nevertheless, research has not yet succeeded in explaining the underlying causes. We drew up a quantitative system dynamics model that can be used to diagnose the complex societal system that is leading to poor waste collection. The model describes demographic, social, economic, financial, participatory, and governance processes that may play a role. It is calibrated against real-life datasets for six Latin American countries. The calibration shows adequate performance of the model. Strong population growth appears to have a dual effect. It leads to an increase in available budgets for collection but also tends to dilute the available budget per inhabitant. Processes on the growth of GDP, government revenues, and quality of governance strongly improve access of citizens to waste collection. They do so separately but also because they reinforce each other. But, there are differences per country. Progress in Belize seems to be hampered mostly by low governance quality. For Bolivia, the hurdle seems to consist of an inability to increase public revenues and absorb new urban citizens. Ecuador and Paraguay would also benefit from increased revenues along with an ability to increase public participation. The Dominican Republic and Panama reveal an overall passivity to improve their services. This model may be useful for decision makers globally to develop effective interventions. Full article

Participatory budgeting has been advocated as an advanced tool of civic participation and a travelling innovation for more than three decades. This paper provides a bibliometric review of the concurrent body of knowledge on participatory budgeting (PB), explaining how this democratic innovation ‘travelled’ through time and over different scientific fields. This study was based on a dataset of 396 papers on PB published from 1989 to January 2023. The study finds that research in PB has reached its peak of scholarly attention in pre-COVID-19 pandemic years. The study also finds that the research on PB has migrated from the field of political science to other fields, such as economics, management science, law, urban planning, environmental science, and technology. Full article

The prevalence of chronic medical conditions is associated with biological, behavioral, and social factors. In Puerto Rico (PR), events such as budget cuts to essential services in recent years have contributed to deepening health disparities. This study aimed to explore community perceptions, opinions, and beliefs about chronic health conditions in the southern region of Puerto Rico. Framed by a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, this qualitative study developed eight focus groups (n = 59) with adults (age of 21 or older) from southern Puerto Rico, in person and remotely, during 2020 and 2021. Eight open-ended questions were used for discussions, which were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via computer analysis. Content analysis revealed four main dimensions: knowledge, vulnerabilities, barriers, and identified resources. Relevant topics included: concerns about mental health—depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicide; individual vulnerabilities—risk behaviors, and unhealthy habits; economic factors—health access and commercialization of health. Resource identification was also explored, and participants discussed the importance of alliances between public and private sectors. These topics were addressed across all focus groups, with various recommendations. The results highlight the importance of prioritizing identified community needs, evaluating available resources, and promoting tailored-made interventions to reduce risk factors for chronic health conditions. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behavior due to various restrictions and increased degrees of ICT use. By establishing and verifying the validity of the hypotheses, we aim to compare intensities of mutual correlations that indicate changes in consumer behavior depending on the degree and nature of changes in selected socio-demographic or socio-economic factors. The statistical evaluation of the answers obtained in surveys of representative samples of 987 respondents from the Slovak Republic (implemented in 2021 about the dual quality of goods sold in the EU) and also the answers of 347 respondents (in 2022 aimed at changes in Slovak consumer behavior) will be carried out with multivariate analyses using the SPSS program. The outputs indicated that during self-isolation periods, Slovak consumers bought more or the same amount as before the pandemic; shopping habits were mainly changed by women and groups with lower household income. Test subjects preferred the quality products and products posing the least amount of risk to health. All consumers intend to continue to shop through e-commerce platforms where they prefer a more personal experience (through social media or YouTube). Low-income people’s budgets are threatened by cheap products and poor distribution of spending, especially among young people. We recommend simplifying personalized visualized sales and education content and e-methods of information sharing also in order to make them accessible to digitally disadvantaged groups (according to income, age, education, etc.). The use of blockchains increases transparency of production and sales value chains, reducing the occurrence of unfair practices, and promoting participatory public dialogue. Full article

Rice-fallow systems in South Asian countries play a pivotal role in increasing agricultural production. However, the productivity of these system is largely challenged by deteriorating soil health and limited residual soil moistures in dry-periods, precluding the possibility of winter and/or spring season crops after rice harvest. This investigation explores the possibilities of including winter and/or spring crops through conservation agriculture (CA)-based management practices and evaluates its effect on soil carbon dynamic, system productivity, energy and carbon budgeting. Field experiments were conducted at a farmer’s field in participatory modes at Chene Village, Jharkhand, India, and had five treatments comprising (1) fallow-land [FL]; (2) transplanted puddle rice (TPR)-fallow (winter)-fallow (summer), a typical cultivation practice of this region [RF]; (3) TPR–conventional-till mustard–conventional-till blackgram [CP]; (4) CA with zero-till transplanted rice (ZTTR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA1]; (5) CA with zero-till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA2]. Results revealed that CA2 comprising full CA practice of growing direct seeded rice, mustard and blackgram under ZT increased total soil organic carbon (TSOC) of 0–0.6 m soil layer by 14.3% and 10.3% over RF and CP, respectively. The C-sequestration rate was higher in CA treatments and varied from 0.55 to 0.64 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The system rice equivalent yield in CA2 during the initial four years was lower than CP but it was 23.7% higher over CP in fifth year. The CA-based system (CA2) enhanced the water productivity of rice, mustard and blackgram by 7.0%, 23.6% and 14.1% over CP, respectively. The CA2 treatment, having higher system productivity, better C-sequestration potential, lower C-footprint, higher energy and water productivity has very good potential for sustaining soil health and crop yield of rice-fallow systems. Full article