1 - 4 of 4
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
2. Dynamic Cities? The Role of Urban Local Governments in Improving Urban Service Delivery Performance in Africa and Asia
- Author:
- Jamie Boex, Ammar A. Malik, Devanne Brookins, and Ben Edwards
- Publication Date:
- 07-2016
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- Cities are engines of economic growth that provide spaces for social transformation and political inclusion. Their ability to deliver widely accessible and efficiently functioning public services drives productivity and sustains development. We design and apply an assessment framework to 42 cities in 14 African and Asian countries to better understand the functional, administrative, and political dimensions determining the quality and coverage of water, sanitation, and solid waste collection services. We find that urban local governments are constrained in their authority and discretion to deliver basic public services. Reforming intergovernmental institutional structures to better match responsibilities is essential for realizing cities’ full economic potential.
- Topic:
- Government, Water, Governance, International Development, Economic growth, Urban, Sanitation, Services, and Cities
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Asia, and Global Focus
3. Becoming Urban Humanitarians: Engaging Local Government to Protect Displaced People
- Author:
- Loren Landau, Caroline Wanjiku-Kihato, Jean Pierre Misago, and Benjamin Edwards
- Publication Date:
- 09-2016
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- People displaced into urban areas due to war, persecution, or climatic crisis have claimed an increasingly prominent position in humanitarian operations and research. Through an examination of three African municipalities currently hosting displaced persons we study the cognitive, financial, and political incentives that work for and against a proactive response to displacement. We find that in cities where deprivation is widespread, effective engagement with municipal authorities demands a shift in approach. Rather than appeals to domestic or international protection principles, effective engagement with local authorities requires recognizing local authorities’ interests and incentives to develop strategies to align protection concerns with local political economic factors.
- Topic:
- Economics, Humanitarian Aid, Displacement, Urban, and Cities
- Political Geography:
- Uganda, Kenya, Africa, and South Africa
4. Triggering Increased City-Level Public Finance for Pro-Poor Sanitation Improvements
- Author:
- Jameson Boex and Benjamin Edwards
- Publication Date:
- 01-2015
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- Urban Institute
- Abstract:
- This paper provides a general framework for understanding the political economy and fiscal determinants of sanitation service provision by urban local governments. The paper will address several questions: what do we expect to influence spending on local sanitation? Do different fiscal instruments have an impact on expenditure levels? Do increased local revenues lead to increased expenditures over the long term? What role do different stakeholders play in determining expenditure levels? The paper first looks at the role of political factors in constraining local expenditure decisions, then turns to a review of the fiscal determinants of service delivery expenditures.
- Topic:
- Political Economy, Governance, Urban, Sanitation, Services, and Cities
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus